


Genie In The Bottle

by PaintingWithWords (paint_with_words)



Series: Zebras Among The Horses [3]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety Attacks, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Character Death, Not Canon Compliant, Other, Virology, epidemiology
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2020-12-29 12:43:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 30,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21140681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paint_with_words/pseuds/PaintingWithWords
Summary: Things are going well for Yuuri Katsuki.  He’s living in Paris, working as a field epidemiologist for the Pasteur Institute, and he’s engaged to Viktor Nikiforov, the most amazing man in the world and the love of his life.But danger looms on the horizon, as it always does for someone in his line of work.  When people start getting sick, Yuuri must race to find out what has been set loose... and if there's any way of stopping it.





	1. Reunion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [smolkristen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/smolkristen/gifts), [Songbirdsara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Songbirdsara/gifts).
**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor paused the program he was watching and looked over at Yuuri, who had fallen asleep leaning against Viktor’s shoulder. He gently squeezed Yuuri’s hand underneath their shared blanket and smiled. The small children in the seats directly in front of them had fallen silent hours ago, allowing Yuuri to finally get some much needed rest. He’d been so excited about the trip that he’d completely repacked his suitcase no less than three times last night. Not that Viktor could blame him. It wasn’t every day that you got to be a bridesman in a friend’s wedding. It was a high honor to be sure and Viktor couldn't wait to meet the couple that had seen fit to bestow it on the man he loved.
> 
> He knew it wasn’t just excitement that had kept Yuuri up last night. He knew that Yuuri was also anxious and worried about being back in Atlanta. Yuuri had lived there for years when he worked for the CDC, but he’d gone through some rough times there. Some of them were harder to shake off than others. Viktor understood all too well how hard it was to return to a place where you’d been hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter mentions challenges to reproductive freedom in the state of Georgia. A further explanation and a link are in the notes at the end of the chapter.

Viktor paused the program he was watching and looked over at Yuuri, who had fallen asleep leaning against Viktor’s shoulder. He gently squeezed Yuuri’s hand underneath their shared blanket and smiled. The small children in the seats directly in front of them had fallen silent hours ago, allowing Yuuri to finally get some much needed rest. He’d been so excited about the trip that he’d completely repacked his suitcase no less than three times last night. Not that Viktor could blame him. It wasn’t every day that you got to be a bridesman in a friend’s wedding. It was a high honor to be sure and Viktor couldn't wait to meet the couple that had seen fit to bestow it on the man he loved.

He knew it wasn’t just excitement that had kept Yuuri up last night. He knew that Yuuri was also anxious and worried about being back in Atlanta. Yuuri had lived there for years when he worked for the CDC, but he’d gone through some rough times there. Some of them were harder to shake off than others. Viktor understood all too well how hard it was to return to a place where you’d been hurt. 

Sighing, he pressed a soft kiss into the crown of Yuuri’s hair. Yuuri was well aware of the fact that there was nothing to worry about, but it didn’t stop him from worrying anyway. It was part of his nature. Atlanta was a large city and they would only be there for a few short days, and most of that time would be spent dealing with the wedding, so everything should go smoothly. The only thing that posed a possible issue was lunch tomorrow with Leo, one of Yuuri’s former colleagues, but they were meeting far from the shadow of the CDC. They should be fine. 

Viktor had been excited about the trip all week long, his enthusiasm thrumming through him like a mild electric current just underneath his skin. He would finally get to meet Sara and Emil in person after they landed, something he’d wanted to do for some time. He’d never actually spoken with either of them and had only communicated with Sara as part of a group text last year when Yuuri had been in the hospital. But he knew that both of them texted back and forth with Yuuri on a fairly regular basis. When they began talking about setting an actual date, Sara not only asked Yuuri to be in her bridal party, but she asked him if there were dates they needed to work around in his schedule. Clearly, they understood what a treasure Yuuri really was and Viktor was looking forward to getting to know them better.

He also was looking forward to meeting Leo, one of Yuuri’s former colleagues from the CDC. He’d stayed in touch with Yuuri after he’d been fired from the agency. Usually when someone was fired, their former coworkers dropped all association with them and acted like they’d never known them, as though they were somehow tainted. But Leo stuck by Yuuri’s side and that spoke very highly of him, as far as Viktor was concerned. Yuuri said that Leo wasn’t happy at the CDC anymore and Viktor wanted to know first-hand just how bad it was. They’d all heard rumors that morale was low and that they were beginning to weed people out of the organization. He wasn't going to Atlanta on a fact-finding mission, but if the opportunity to get a little inside information presented itself, he certainly wasn’t going to say no. 

The plane banked and Yuuri shifted in his sleep. Under the blanket, Viktor gave Yuuri’s hand another little squeeze, hoping he wouldn’t wake just yet. They still had a few hours before they landed and waking up now would just mean he’d crash sooner tonight. He didn’t need to burn what little he had in reserve while they were on the plane and could do nothing. Thankfully, Yuuri settled back down, sighing as he pressed his face into Viktor’s shoulder. 

Leaning back in the chair, Viktor thought about resuming the program he’d been binging since they’d hit cruising altitude, but he could feel weariness creeping into his limbs. Being stuck on a plane for an eight-hour flight was dull and boring and a nap right now would be good. It would also extend his running time once they landed. 

Things would be hectic once they arrived in Atlanta. Soon enough, they’d be back on the ground and scrambling across the airport to pick up their bags and their car, drop off everything at the hotel, and head over to Sara and Emil’s for dinner. But for now, they were high above the Atlantic, all was quiet and calm, and sleep was calling to him. He should take this opportunity while he had the chance.

Yawning, Viktor fished the eye mask out of the little pouch the flight attendants handed out when everyone boarded and slipped it on. He took Yuuri’s hand again, hoping that everything would go smoothly on this trip, and drifted off to sleep. 

* * *

Yuuri drove down the residential streets, biting back a sigh. It felt so strange being back in Atlanta after being gone for almost two years. A part of him had missed this city and how beautiful it was, especially right after a rainstorm when everything seemed fresh and new. But another, growing part of him felt ill at ease about being here, as though something horrible was looming right around the corner. He’d been tense since they landed, but now that they were only a few blocks away from Sara and Emil’s house, things were worse, much worse.

The last time he’d been down these streets, Sara had been driving him to the airport. They’d just moved out of their rented townhouse, she’d moved in with Emil, and he was about to move back to Japan, his future uncertain. Even now, just remembering how it felt had a physical effect on him, like the phantom ache of an improperly healed broken bone. 

Yuuri took a deep breath, trying to concentrate on all the good things presently in his life instead of the bad things that had happened. He had a career doing what he loved and he was respected in his field. He was living in Paris and he was engaged to the most kind, intelligent, and beautiful man in the world. He was—

Viktor’s hand on his knee pulled Yuuri out of his thoughts. He made a small, inquisitive sound and looked over at Viktor, who regarded him with a gentle expression. 

“Are you okay?” Viktor asked, a concerned look on his face.

Yuuri bit his lower lip and put his hand over Viktor’s. Viktor was so good to him, better than he deserved...

“Yeah,” he replied, “I was just thinking about… stuff. When I left, I told Sara I’d come back for her wedding if she married Emil. But there’s so much that happened here…” He trailed off as he hit the blinker and turned onto their street. “I just didn’t expect it to hurt so much. I feel a little blindsided by all of it, you know?”

Viktor sighed and gripped his hand tighter.

“I can imagine,” he said softly. “I know it has to be hard for you. But you’re a good friend to both Sara and Emil. You came back here for them, despite everything you went through.” Viktor gave him a soft smile, picked up his hand, and kissed it. Yuuri could feel the tension flowing out of him and sighed. 

“I think you’re very brave and it shows just how strong you really are,” Viktor continued. “If you need to talk about things, I’m right here.”

“Thank you, Vitya,” he replied. He would have said more, but Sara and Emil’s house was coming up. Seeing that both of their vehicles were in the driveway, Yuuri parked on the street in front of their house. He killed the engine and leaned over to kiss Viktor, grateful for his presence here. They got out of the car and, hand in hand, headed up the sidewalk to the house.

As they walked, Yuuri heard a feminine cry from inside. Before they could get halfway up the sidewalk, the front door flew open and Sara raced out of the house, her bare feet slapping on the wet sidewalk.

“_Yuuuuuri!_” she cried as she ran towards them. Laughing, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back and sighed, not realizing until this moment just how much he’d missed her. 

“Oh my God, you’re finally _here_!” she said, holding him tight. “Oh, I’m so glad to see you!”

“I’m glad to see you, too,” he gasped into her hair, crushed by her fierce hug. She let him go and pulled back, holding him at arm’s length as though she was examining him critically.

“You’re too thin, Yuuri,” she said. “I know you told me you’re okay, but…?” she trailed off, her violet eyes darkening with a hint of worry. 

“I’m fine, Sara,” he reassured her. “I’ve been on a diet. I knew I was going to eat like a damn pig when we got here, so I’ve been eating salads for the past two weeks to offset it.”

“You and me both,” she complained. “My mother insisted I wear her wedding dress and I swear to God she must have been a _stick_ when she married my dad. I don’t know how she breathed in the damn thing.” Her expression softened as she said, “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Her gaze fell on Viktor and she gave him a warm, welcoming smile. 

“Hello, Viktor,” she said. “It’s good to finally get to meet you! Yuuri’s told us so much about you!”

“I’ve heard a lot about you as well, Sara,” Viktor said and Yuuri smirked as he watched Viktor turn on the charm, something that came to him as naturally as breathing. He held out his hand to Sara, who laughed and shook her head.

“You’re Yuuri’s _fiancé_,” she said, wrapping her arms around him. “You’re _family_.” 

Viktor returned her hug and Yuuri saw him smile over the top of her shoulder. As much as Viktor hated to admit it, he was a big softie sometimes.

“Anyway, let’s not stand out here all night, come in!” Sara said as she led the way back up to the house. “You two are just in time. Emil just finished dinner.” She threw a playful glance over her shoulder at Yuuri and said, “Ready to break that diet? ‘Cause there’s no salad here for you tonight.”

“You have no idea how ready I am,” Yuuri sighed, making them all laugh as they stepped inside. The front door was next to the kitchen, where Emil was putting dishes in the sink. 

“Oh my God, Yuuri!” Emil said, a delighted smile lighting up his face. He closed the short distance between them and hugged Yuuri, forcing a small grunt out of him. Emil always had the best hugs.

“It’s so good to see you again!” Emil said, genuinely pleased. He let Yuuri go and hugged Viktor. 

“And it’s nice to meet you, Viktor! Thanks for making the trip with him. We’ve been wanting to meet you for way too long.” 

“It’s good to meet you, too,” Viktor said when Emil released him. “Congratulations on your wedding.”

“Thanks!” Emil said, moving to the stove. “We’ve got a lot of your favorites here, Yuuri. Chicken fried steak, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, and there’s even a peach cobbler in the oven.”

“Oh my God I love you,” Yuuri blurted, to everyone’s amusement. “I’ve missed all of this so much…”

“I guess you can’t get a meal like this in Paris, huh,” Emil said. Behind him, Sara pulled four plates out of the cabinet and set them on the counter next to a pitcher of iced tea.

“I don’t know, I haven’t gone looking for chicken fried steak in Paris,” Yuuri replied. “But even if I can get it there, nothing beats a home cooked meal.”

“True,” Emil murmured as he put serving spoons in each of the dishes. “Anyway, it’s not a proper visit without having chicken fried steak at least once. We had to get that one out of the way right off.”

“Where do you guys want to eat?” Sara asked. “We could eat in the dining room or we could eat outside. We’re supposed to get more showers tonight, but we should be good for at least a couple of hours.”

Before either Yuuri or Viktor could respond, Emil said, “We should eat outside. It’s nice out.”

Yuuri wasn’t sure and looked at Viktor to see if he had any preference. But Viktor was watching him, an inquisitive expression on his face. Yuuri shook his head and laughed. Clearly, he would get to cast the deciding vote.

“Outside would be wonderful,” he replied. Emil’s smile was instant and genuine, like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. 

“Great!” Emil said, hurrying off into the living room. 

“You made him so happy,” Sara said, watching him go. “As soon as it started raining, he brought in all the cushions off the chairs. They’re waterproof, but he still didn’t want anyone to get their pants wet.”

Yuuri poked his head around the corner and saw Emil heading out of the sliding glass doors, his arms overflowing with russet-hued cushions, humming happily to himself. 

After Emil came back inside, they fixed their plates. Yuuri took a little of everything, happy to have such an indulgent meal after half a month on little more than lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Sara got some of everything too, but she only took small portions. When Yuuri questioned her about it, she gave him a pained look.

“I can indulge a little, but I’ve still got to fit into that damn dress,” she sighed. 

Viktor filled his plate, looking at everything with a wide smile on his face. Yuuri was pretty sure he’d never had anything quite like this before. One of Viktor’s favorite things to do when he visited a new place was try out the local cuisine. Yuuri was certain Viktor was in for a treat. 

They followed Sara through the living room to the deck outside. As soon as Yuuri set foot outside, it was obvious why Emil wanted to eat out here.

In the two years he’d been gone, they’d done a lot of work to the property. The old deck, which had been small and badly in need of repair, had been torn down and replaced with one that spanned the entire length of the back of the house. A pergola had been added to the far corner of the deck as well, and a wrought iron table and matching chairs were underneath it. There was no sign of the picnic table that had lived on the previous incarnation of the deck, although the aging barrel-shaped grill was still parked in the same spot on the side of the house. Yuuri suspected Emil would keep the grill until it literally fell apart.

The deck wasn’t the only thing they’d worked on. The backyard had been transformed from a barren and weedy scrubland to a lush paradise, full of thick, green grass, and almost didn’t look like the same place where he’d had his going away party. A stone pathway led from the deck to the old pecan tree that dominated the backyard. Even the fence had been replaced with sturdy new planks of unpainted wood.

“You two have done a lot of work!” Yuuri said, marveling at the changes around him. “It looks amazing!”

“Thank you,” Sara replied, setting her plate and glass of tea down on the table. Emil beamed, obviously proud of the improvements and the praise they’d garnered.

“Did you do this all yourselves or did you hire someone to do it?” Yuuri asked as they sat down to eat.

“A little of both, actually,” Emil replied. “We’ve made a lot of improvements around the house, but for the more elaborate stuff, we got some of my friends from work to help out.” Emil leaned back and slapped a hand against the wooden railing of the deck. “You see this beauty? All of this was done in one weekend. It’s amazing what you can get done if you feed people barbecue and beer.”

“Those guys are used to building sets all week long,” Sara said in between bites. “Tearing out a deck and putting up a new one was nothing to them. Emil and I can do a lot, but this was way more than we could do on our own.”

“We’ve also helped them out with projects too, so it was an even trade. Sara’s amazing when it comes to painting interiors.”

“Who would have ever guessed I‘d be any good at home improvement?” Sara said. “I’m used to writing code, not taping off a room or laying tile.”

Next to Yuuri, Viktor hummed as he took another bite of his chicken fried steak, clearly enjoying his meal.

“This is delicious,” Viktor said. “If you have the recipes for these dishes, I’d really love them so we can make them when we get home.” 

Emil and Viktor launched into a discussion about cooking, each of them listing their favorite dishes to make and the dishes they’d learned to make from others. When Viktor mentioned katsudon, Sara nudged Emil playfully with her elbow.

“I _told_ you Yuuri would teach him that one,” she said. Emil merely nodded, as though this were a foregone conclusion. 

“You know, Viktor,” Sara said, “back when Yuuri and I were roommates, he used to watch you whenever you were on TV. If he was out on assignment, he’d record your programs and watch them when he got home. We'd sit on the couch and eat popcorn while you tore a senator a new asshole.”

“Oh my God,” Yuuri groaned, burying his face in his hands. He could feel the heat rising to his face. Shit, he should have known this was going to come up…

“Is this true?” Viktor asked, obviously pleased. “I had no idea you did that!”

“And you weren’t supposed to know, either,” Yuuri muttered, shooting a withering look at Sara. She winked at him and laughed.

“He most certainly did,” Sara answered. “I swear Yuuri was your biggest fan. I was so happy when he told me he got a job working with you. And now you’re engaged! I’m so happy for both of you.”

“You know,” Yuuri said, eager to change the subject and seeing an opening, “I haven’t actually had a good look at your ring yet. I’ve seen it on my phone, but I need to see it up close.”

Smiling, Sara held out her left hand and showed off her engagement ring. It was a beautiful golden band set with a single diamond that sparkled in the light of the setting sun. Both Yuuri and Viktor admired it, Viktor complimenting Emil on his excellent taste. Emil blushed, obviously happy. 

“Alright boys,” Sara challenged, a playful smirk on her face, “I showed you mine, now you show me yours.” Emil snorted and Viktor coughed at the double entendre, but his eyes danced with delight. He loved showing off his ring.

Both Yuuri and Viktor put their right hands up on the table, their gold bands on full display.

“Oh they’re wonderful!” Sara exclaimed. “And they even match!”

“Now see, that’s the way it should be done,” Emil muttered, pretending to pout. “You should _both_ get an engagement ring. I should have gotten an engagement ring.” Emil sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest like a petulant child, but his eyes danced with laughter. “I was cheated and robbed.”

“Oh honey, do you want me to buy you a nice rock to put on your finger?” Sara teased. “We can get you one just like mine, so that way our engagement and wedding rings would make two matched sets.”

“Nah,” Emil replied. “I’d rather have a GoPro. Or a new mountain bike.”

“You’re _so_ predictable,” Sara said, shaking her head. Emil laughed and Sara turned back to Yuuri and Viktor.

“So, have you two set a date yet?”

“Not yet,” Yuuri replied, feeling like maybe they should have by now. It had been seven months... “It just kind of… happened?”

“It was the sweetest, most romantic thing ever,” Viktor said, leaning forward on the table, a soft look on his face. “We presented our paper about the Elgon virus at a symposium in Barcelona. In the evening, Yuuri wanted to get away and he whisked me off to the Christmas Market. I thought we were just going to take a nice stroll around, get dinner, maybe do a little shopping. Before I knew what was happening, Yuuri pulled me into a jewelry store and bought us rings. _Rings._ I was stunned, absolutely stunned. We ended up proposing to one another in front of a church, with a choir singing Christmas carols in the background. It couldn’t have been more perfect if we’d planned it.”

Yuuri blinked back sudden tears, took Viktor’s hand in both of his, and leaned forward to kiss him.

“That’s so sweet,” Sara gushed. “When you _do_ set a date, we need to know, because we’re going to Paris to see you two get married. Or, if you decide to do the whole destination wedding thing, we’ll go there, too.”

“Deal,” Yuuri replied, not letting go of Viktor’s hand. “Speaking of weddings, are you two going on a honeymoon?”

“Yes,” Emil answered. “We’re leaving Sunday morning for a week in Vancouver.”

“Just look at these pictures!” Sara said, handing Yuuri her phone. Viktor leaned over his shoulder while Yuuri scrolled through them. The city was beautiful, with modern high rises nestled between snow-capped mountains, forests, and a large body of water. 

“The high in Vancouver this time of year is seventy degrees,” she said. “_Seventy!_ Today our high was almost ninety! Believe me, I’m ready to go _now_.”

When the clouds started gathering again, they took their plates inside and had peach cobbler. Viktor thought it was so delicious that he had seconds.

Yuuri could see that they had done a lot of work on the inside of their house as well. They’d painted the living room and refinished the cabinets in the kitchen, something he hadn’t noticed when they arrived. 

“We even fixed up the bathroom,” Sara said, leaning back against Emil on the end of the couch, a framed mint condition movie poster for _Anastasis_ on the wall behind them. “I made him get rid of that hideous salmon pink tile in there.”

“It needed to go,” Emil said, shaking his head. “It was godawful and probably older than my mother. With all of these improvements we’ve made, we’ll get a much better price on the house when we sell it.”

Yuuri almost fell out of his chair in shock. They wanted to _sell_ the house? Emil had only owned it for a few years and they’d done so much work on it…

“Why are you selling your house?” Viktor asked, confused. “You’ve obviously invested a lot of time and money here. Do you want to buy a bigger one?”

Emil frowned and Sara appeared to visibly deflate. What was going on?

“I’m sure you’ve heard about how Georgia is trying to limit reproductive freedom,” Emil said. “Well, a lot of production companies are talking about pulling out of Georgia for location shoots because of it and I can’t say that I blame them. After we get back from our honeymoon, we’re seriously thinking about putting the house on the market.”

“Where are you going to go?” Yuuri asked, finally finding his voice. 

“Canada,” Sara replied. 

“Lots of television series and movies are filmed there,” Emil added, “and I know a few people who have already made the move. It shouldn’t be hard to find another job once we get there. I might even be able to line one up before we move. That’s why we decided to go to Vancouver for our honeymoon. We wanted to check everything out first.”

Yuuri didn’t know what to think. He knew things were bad, but for Emil and Sara to talk about selling their lovely little house and moving to another country, things had to be much worse than he thought. 

“Neither one of us wants to have kids,” Emil said. “And if something should happen and Sara became pregnant and we were still in Georgia…” Emil shook his head, his expression darkening.

“At least we have the option of getting out before things get too bad,” Sara murmured. “There are a lot of people who don’t and I feel really bad for them.”

Yuuri sat back in his chair and sighed. He’d known for a long time how Sara felt about having children. He was just glad that Emil agreed with her on this. He knew that Seung-Gil had wanted children and that had been part of the reason he’d broken off their engagement a week before their wedding. 

“Well, I wish you both well, no matter what you decide to do,” Yuuri said. In the chair beside his, Viktor nodded in agreement.

They talked a little longer, but eventually Yuuri began to feel the drag of a transatlantic flight wearing him down. Even though it was barely dark outside, his body still insisted that it was the middle of the night and that he should be in bed. Poor Viktor was discreetly hiding yawns behind his hand. They both needed to get back to the hotel and get some sleep.

“I hate to do this, but we need to get going,” Yuuri said after Viktor yawned for the third time in ten minutes. “It was a long flight and my jetlag is catching up to me.”

“Jetlag always did kick your ass,” Sara said gently, “but I think it’s kicking Viktor’s ass even more. Go on. We’ll see you two tomorrow at the rehearsal.”

Emil and Sara walked them to the door, going over the time and place for the rehearsal and the dinner afterwards. They hugged one last time and waved at them from the door as they headed off.

Yuuri drove to the hotel, smiling to himself when he noticed that Viktor had fallen asleep in the passenger seat. He’d wake him when they got to the hotel. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day and they needed all the sleep they could get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In 2019, a [bill](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/05/hb-481-georgia-law-criminalizes-abortion-subjects-women-to-life-in-prison.html?via=rss_socialflow_facebook&fbclid=IwAR3y2Wp1N6EXgJc-pjdSfYgwXs4-0GxY2g9bBs0me6mvaFTIzZGC0EBxgkA) was signed into law in the state of Georgia that would prohibit a woman from terminating her pregnancy once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is at six weeks' gestation. Many women aren't even aware that they're pregnant at this time, and a fetus of this age is not viable outside of the woman carrying it. Women who do elect to terminate a pregnancy once a heartbeat is detected, or that travel outside the state for this purpose, can be tried for murder. This law is set to go into effect in 2020.


	2. Karma's A Bitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Out of the blue, Yuuri said, “I noticed that none of the Twitter accounts are active anymore.” 
> 
> At first, Viktor wasn’t certain what Yuuri was talking about. Across the table from him, Leo froze like a deer caught in the headlights and cast a wary glance his way. A second later, he looked back at Yuuri, his expression guarded.
> 
> “It’s okay,” Yuuri reassured him. “Viktor knows about my involvement with the Rogue CDC account. It’s not a problem.”
> 
> Viktor looked between the two of them, understanding dawning as he watched Leo exhale and visibly relax. So, Leo had been part of the Rogue CDC Twitter account as well, had he? This changed his estimation of Leo considerably, and all for the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Thanksgiving in the US and Yuuri's birthday in Japan, so to celebrate have the next chapter a little early. ;-)
> 
> This chapter mentions the current treatment of immigrant families seeking asylum in the United States. A link is in the notes at the end of the chapter.

“You know how they always tell you not to eat the local street food when you’re out on assignment?” Leo said to Viktor as they set their plates down on a picnic table. “You know how everyone pretty much ignores that rule? Well, it’s the same here. The food is delicious and I don’t ask to see a copy of their current health inspection certificate. I figure the less I know,” he paused to admire his pulled pork sandwich, “the happier I am.” 

Viktor nodded and looked over at Yuuri, who was already making quick work of his plate of brisket. Viktor bit into his sausage wrap and sighed. It tasted even better than it smelled, and it smelled absolutely divine.

The restaurant— if it could be called that— Leo had chosen was little more than a shack with several grills in the back and a scattering of picnic tables outside. But the food was delicious and even at eleven in the morning there was a line, which only continued to grow as Viktor watched.

“Besides,” Leo continued, “this is the best place for barbecue in Atlanta. You can pay more and go to someplace fancier, but you’re paying for décor. Personally, I’d rather pay for the food.” 

Viktor watched as Leo talked with Yuuri, reminiscing about their early days at the CDC. Leo looked more like he belonged in a band than out in the field tracking down outbreaks and epidemics, but it was clear once they started talking that he could be entirely professional when the need arose. He had his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows and had a warm and friendly nature about him that immediately put people at ease. He was the kind of man a person could talk to and not feel judged, which was important in their line of work.

Out of the blue, Yuuri said, “I noticed that none of the Twitter accounts are active anymore.” 

At first, Viktor wasn’t certain what Yuuri was talking about. Across the table from him, Leo froze like a deer caught in the headlights and cast a wary glance his way. A second later, he looked back at Yuuri, his expression guarded.

“It’s okay,” Yuuri reassured him. “Viktor knows about my involvement with the Rogue CDC account. It’s not a problem.”

Viktor looked between the two of them, understanding dawning as he watched Leo exhale and visibly relax. So, Leo had been part of the Rogue CDC Twitter account as well, had he? This changed his estimation of Leo considerably, and all for the better.

No wonder he’d stayed in touch with Yuuri after he was fired. Viktor was sure he hadn’t done it out of guilt. If that had been his only reason, then they still wouldn’t be talking to one another. Guilt only worked as a motivator for so long. No, it meant that Leo was as upset by things as Yuuri had been. The only difference was that Yuuri had been caught and paid the price for speaking out. 

“Okay,” he murmured. “That’s… good to know.” Leo looked down at the table, gathering his thoughts, and looked back up at Viktor. If anything, he seemed more open now, as though he had been given permission to speak freely and didn’t have to give a sanitized version of his working situation. 

“We don’t use any of them anymore,” he said quietly. “After what happened to you, everyone was too afraid to use them.” He gave Yuuri an apologetic look. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. It sucked.”

Yuuri looked down and sighed. “Thank you, Leo. But it’s okay. I mean, I’ve moved on to bigger and better things. I’d say everything worked out quite nicely in the end.” Yuuri gave him a wicked smile and held up his right hand, showing off his engagement ring. Leo admired it and Viktor’s as well, nodding in approval.

“Congratulations!” He fistbumped Yuuri and said, “After all the shit you’ve been through, you deserve to be happy.”

But Leo’s smile faded and he leaned in a little closer to the table. Yuuri did the same and Viktor followed suit.

“If you want to know the truth, I’m getting pretty tired of the shit they keep pulling at the CDC,” Leo murmured. “The politics are even worse than they were before you left. There are a lot of us who just keep our heads down and try not to make any waves. It’s not good, Yuuri, not good at all.”

“What’s going on?” Yuuri asked, his voice also pitched low.

“Well, you know our budget got cut. Most of what they cut was for international response. The new administration doesn’t want to give us the money we need to fight outbreaks abroad. They don’t understand that the work we do in other countries keeps outbreaks from spreading and coming here. All they see is money flowing out and they cry about it.” Leo put down his sandwich and wagged a finger at Viktor.

“It’s like last month when you did that interview on TV and that _ pendejo _ congressman kept saying, ‘We need to take care of our own’ every time you tried to talk. It’s like that all the time here now. The administration just doesn’t get that this is an investment in not just _ our _ health, but in _ everyone’s _ health. It’s like my _ abuela _ used to say, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’. And she was right. To pull back now not only halts progress, but it puts the work we’ve already done at risk. It’s short-sighted, dangerous, and fuckin’ stupid if you ask me.”

Viktor nodded. The congressman had been belligerent, interrupting him at every turn during their interview. It had been infuriating and it took everything Viktor had to remain visibly calm and not snap back at him. In the end, he’d managed to make his point to the interviewer, but he wondered how much of what he’d said fell on deaf ears in the audience. Thankfully, Yuuri had been there to help calm him down afterwards…

“I heard that Guang-Hong went home,” Yuuri said. “Is it because of all of this?”

Leo pursed his lips and sighed. He looked like he was trying to figure out what to say or how to say it as he drummed his fingers on the table. 

“No, Guang-Hong had to deal with different bullshit,” he said at last. “They were giving him grief about not applying for citizenship and making it harder for him to work here. He requested a renewal on his visa and they told him he needed to come in for a shitload of interviews. He never needed to do that before. When he got there, they asked for all of his financial records, wanted to know where he lived and who he talked to. They wanted all of his travel information for the past five years and a list of people he talked to back home. It’s happening to a lot of people who weren’t born here, but it’s worse for people from China. He felt like he was being targeted, so in the end, he found a job with one of the labs back home and he left. I can’t say that I blame him, either.”

Viktor sat back, thinking about how their research project would function in the environment Leo had described. All four of them were from different countries, but that was of no concern. They were all experts in their respective fields, good at what they did, and accepted by their colleagues and the Institut alike for their skill, not their citizenship. Trying to work someplace where they were under constant scrutiny and suspicion because of where they were born would be difficult in the extreme and not at all conducive to a good work environment. He knew Yuuri had some of this thrown at him when he was terminated from the CDC and he knew just how much it had affected him. But what they had done to their former colleague was even worse, and he understood completely why Guang-Hong elected to return to China rather than continue to try to work under such hostile conditions.

“You know how they sent you to Texas to deal with that measles cluster?” Leo said to Yuuri. “Well, this year it was my turn to go, only they sent me to New York. I got there and was doing home visits with the kids and one of the parents asked me for my papers.”

“Oh my God, are you serious?” Yuuri sputtered, aghast. “Leo, you’re American!”

“Yeah, but I’m obviously Latino,” Leo replied. “I told them I didn’t need papers because I was born in California. Then the father said, ‘_ Baja _ California?’ I was so pissed off I almost got up and left right then and there. But I thought about what Ciao Ciao would have done in that situation. He was the best at handling rude people. So I gave the guy my best smile and told him that I was the one the CDC sent and if he wanted someone else to come out, it’d take at least a week to get them mobilized and he’d have to pay for their flight out of his own pocket. I was bluffing, but he didn’t know that. He shut up real quick after that.”

“Leo, I’m so sorry that happened to you,” Yuuri said. “That’s just bullshit.” 

“Eh, the guy was an asshole,” Leo said. “But this kind of thing is happening more and more often these days. Now they’re separating families who show up seeking asylum at the southern border and jamming people into overcrowded facilities. You put that many people in one place and that’s an outbreak just waiting to happen. When it does, they’re going to send me and every person the CDC has that’s fluent in Spanish to deal with it. It makes me so mad because all of this is completely avoidable. _ All of it _. Just treat people the way you want to be treated, you know? Is that so hard?” 

It was clear that Leo needed out. He’d been trained by Celestino, just like Yuuri had, and Viktor had a good relationship with Celestino. When they got back to Paris, he could email him and talk to him in depth about Leo. Maybe they could help him out of this mess.

Viktor took a drink from his bottle of soda, considering. Leo and Yuuri had been out on assignments together in the past and were obviously quite comfortable with one another. That would go a long way in the lab and out in the field. And they were looking to expand the program… 

“So, are you seriously thinking about leaving the CDC?” Viktor asked. Leo sighed and put the remainder of his sandwich down.

“Possibly,” he murmured. “Maybe. I don’t like the direction this administration is taking. But I’m torn. I do important work here, work that makes a difference in the quality of people’s lives. If I leave, where would I go? I mean, I could always go into academia or do pure research like Guang-Hong, but I like helping people, even with all the stuff that’s going on now. When the next election comes, if they get voted out, maybe things will change and go back to the way they were. But if they win again...” Leo trailed off, a despondent look on his face.

“Well, have you ever thought about working for WHO like Celestino?” Viktor asked. “Or perhaps even the Institut Pasteur?”

Leo barked out a sharp laugh. But when he saw that Viktor wasn’t joking, he quickly became serious again.

“Really?” he said. “Um, I’ve never thought about living anywhere but here in the US, but considering how bad things are getting, I guess maybe it’s time to think about relocating. Ciao Ciao took that job with WHO and moved to Geneva right after the new administration came in and he barely speaks anything but English. Hell Yuuri, you ended up in Paris. Guang-Hong is in Beijing…” Leo paused and drained the last remnants of his soda and put it down on the table. 

“Maybe it’s time to pack my bags and see the world,” he said at last. “It sure beats watching this place go to hell in a handbasket.”

Viktor reached into his back pocket, pulled out his business cards, and handed one to Leo.

“Take a few days to think about it,” he said. “I’ll be back in the office on Wednesday. If you want, we can talk about things and see where to go from there. No pressure.”

Quickly, Leo produced his own business card and gave it to Viktor. 

“Sure thing,” he said as he gathered his empty plate and bottle. “I’ll _ definitely _ be in touch. If nothing else, it’s always good to explore my options.” He looked over at Yuuri and cracked a smile.

“Got any suggestions about which apps are best to help me brush up on my shitty high school French?” he asked.

* * *

That evening at the rehearsal, Yuuri was nervous. They’d picked up his tuxedo after lunch and that was when the reality of what was about to happen finally set in. 

He stood in the back of the church with the rest of the bride’s party, listening to the thunder rolling overhead, and took a deep breath. Why was he nervous? He had no reason to be nervous. It wasn’t like he was the one getting married. Sara and Emil were getting married. He was just afraid that, somehow or another, he would manage to do something that would ruin their big day. 

Yuuri looked over at Viktor, seated in one of the pews in the middle of the church, eager to observe everything but staying out of the way. Viktor gave him a soft smile and Yuuri felt like he could melt right there. At least until he caught Sara’s twin brother Mickey glaring at him again. Mickey was in the pew right in front of Viktor and Yuuri could swear Mickey spent the whole rehearsal staring at him. He could practically feel Mickey's eyes boring holes into the back of his skull. As if he wasn’t already uncomfortable enough, Mickey’s attention only made the situation worse. Purposefully, he forced himself to look away from Mickey and back at Viktor. 

_ Please, God, _ Yuuri silently prayed, _ don’t let me screw anything up_.

He listened carefully to all of the instructions and they did a couple of walkthroughs down the aisle before they tried it with music. He had no problem getting the timing down, but some of the others did, either walking too fast or not fast enough. Thankfully, the organist had the patience of a saint. In the end, they managed to get everything down, from their entrance into the church to the ceremony itself and their subsequent exit. Each groomsman was paired with a bridesmaid except for Yuuri and Kaja, Emil’s little sister. They were paired together, being the only bridesman and groomswoman in the ceremony. Still, it had a nice kind of symmetry to it, and Kaja was cut from the same cloth as Emil, friendly and outgoing. Their first time down the aisle, she offered Yuuri her arm like the groomsmen had offered theirs to the bridesmaids. With a smirk, Yuuri had taken it and they cracked everyone up. In the end, they decided to stick with the men offering their arms to the ladies for the trip back down the aisle.

When the minister finally said everything was good to go for tomorrow, Sara leaned against her mother and sighed. She was nervous, strung tight like a bow, and looked ready to have everything over and done with. Emil put his arm around her to comfort her and told everyone to meet up at the restaurant. Most of them ended up following Emil’s truck all the way there, forming a chain of closely packed red taillights in the downpour. 

At the restaurant, a table for twenty had been reserved and Yuuri and Viktor ended up close to the end. Yurri didn’t mind too much at first: he didn’t know many of the people there very well and the other bridesmaids and groomsmen packed in tight around the happy couple. He was fine with their seating arrangement until Mickey sat down across from them. Yuuri tried to brush it off, but it made him incredibly uncomfortable. He thought that maybe he’d just been paranoid and imagining Mickey’s hateful stare earlier during the rehearsal, but now that he was directly across from them, there was absolutely no denying Mickey’s animosity. 

Yuuri tried to ignore him by hiding behind the menu, but he could feel Mickey glaring at him from across the table. God, what was he upset about _ this _ time? It seemed like every time he saw Mickey, he was angry at him for some supposed slight and it was old and tiresome.

As they perused the menu together, Viktor leaned in close to Yuuri. 

“Darling,” he said in French, “what is going on with the man on the other side of the table? He stared at you all through the rehearsal and now he’s staring at you again.”

Yuuri peeked around the menu and, sure enough, Mickey was glaring at him. Still. Damn. 

“I don’t know,” Yuuri said, honestly at a loss. “That’s Sara’s twin brother and he always seems to be mad at me for something-”

“It’s rude to speak in a language that not everyone at the table understands,” Mickey muttered into his beer. Yuuri bit down on his lip and suppressed a sigh, not wanting to add fuel to the fire. But Viktor put down his margarita and gave Mickey his very best ‘fuck off and die’ smile. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Viktor murmured, his voice pitched so only Mickey could hear him, “I was just telling Yuuri how good he was last night in bed. Should I let everyone in on it?”

Across the table, Mickey’s eyes widened and he paled. Yuuri bit back a laugh and looked down, feeling the heat rush to his cheeks. Hopefully, that would shut him up and allow Viktor to continue speaking with him in French the entire night. 

The waitress arrived and refilled the endless bowls of chips and salsa. Yuuri ordered beef fajitas for the two of them to share while Viktor sipped on his margarita and chatted with some of the bridesmaids at the table. 

Halfway through dinner, Mickey found his nerve again.

“It should have been me,” Mickey said after his second beer, interrupting the conversation between Yuuri and Viktor.

“I’m sorry?” Yuuri asked, genuinely confused. 

“I should have been on Sara’s side of the altar,” he muttered. “I should have been in the wedding. But instead, she asked you. She should have stayed with me in Orlando when she got dumped by Seung-Gil, but instead you showed up out of nowhere like some kind of fucking knight in shining armor with a U-Haul and took her away. It should have been _ me _ who came to her rescue, not you. What gives? Did you fuck her or something?”

Next to him, Viktor stiffened, shocked and appalled by what Mickey had said. Yuuri put his half-eaten fajita down on the plate and shot a poisonous glare at Mickey. 

“Mickey,” Yuuri said calmly in the tone he reserved for small, unruly children, “I know I’ve told you this before and for some reason you _ still _ don’t get it, but my dick doesn’t work when it comes to women, okay? And, unlike you, I have more respect for your sister than to insinuate things of a sexual nature about her on the day before her wedding.” He took a sip of his margarita and then added, “Maybe this is why she asked me to be in the bridal party and not you.”

Next to him, Viktor sputtered and almost choked on his margarita. He barely managed to get his napkin up to his mouth in enough time to avoid spitting it all over everyone at their end of the table.

“Everything okay down there?” Sara called from the middle of the table, a blissful smile on her face. Yuuri wasn’t about to ruin things for her. She didn’t need this, not now, not ever. He nodded as he patted Viktor on the back, smiling sweetly at her. 

Mickey snarled at him and took another drink from the bottle of beer in front of him. Thankfully, he left them alone for the rest of the night.

Yuuri only hoped he would do the same tomorrow during the wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The [separation of immigrant families at the US border](https://time.com/5678313/trump-administration-family-separation-lawsuits/) is part of a policy meant to deter families who are seeking asylum from crossing the southern border. You can read more about it [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_administration_family_separation_policy).
> 
> _____
> 
> Translations:
> 
> **Pendejo** (Spanish)- Asshole  
**Abuela** (Spanish)- Grandmother


	3. Something Old, Something New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor turned and looked at the back of the church, waiting for Yuuri. When he started down the aisle, Viktor swore he could have fallen in love all over again.
> 
> Dressed in his grey suit, with his hair back and without his glasses and a peach rose in his lapel, Yuuri was breathtaking. He smiled and Viktor could see the rosy color high on his cheeks that told him he’d had a drink or two. Viktor wasn’t surprised: he knew a lot of people drank before a wedding to take the edge off their nerves. As Yuuri walked past him, he cast a sideways look at Viktor, his smile growing just a little brighter. He never turned his head to look at him, just cast a glance his way as he walked by. Viktor sighed and felt like he could melt into a puddle right there.
> 
> Viktor watched him go and for a moment, it was as if he was watching his own wedding. He could see himself standing at the altar in Emil’s place, waiting for Yuuri to come and exchange vows and rings with him, to promise themselves to one another forever... Blinking back sudden tears, Viktor wiped at his eyes, hoping no one noticed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so very much for all the kudos and comments! I appreciate them more that you will ever know. Mwah! ❤️❤️❤️
> 
> And no warnings this time!

When the alarm went off on his phone the next morning, Viktor was glad Yuuri had made him take aspirin and drink plenty of water before going to bed last night. Oh, those margaritas had been good, really good, and he may have had a few too many. Even with the precautions Yuuri had insisted on, his head still ached and his mouth felt like a dry riverbed. 

He dozed briefly while Yuuri went to the hotel’s breakfast bar. They advertised a “free continental breakfast”, which consisted of little more than a small selection of fresh fruit, orange juice and milk, several types of cereal, watery scrambled eggs and a machine that made waffles, which Yuuri absolutely adored. Apparently, this was common breakfast fare at the hotels that Yuuri had stayed in while out on assignment for the CDC. Viktor thought it was a paltry selection, but Yuuri was more than happy with what they offered. Something was better than nothing and it was included in the cost of the room. And, Viktor did have to admit, the waffles weren’t half bad, especially when they were drowned in butter and syrup.

Yuuri returned balancing three plates, two of which had waffles. The third was piled high with strawberries and grapes. Yuuri sat down on the bed and put one of the waffles in front of him before digging into his own. Truthfully, Viktor hadn’t been hungry before, but now that it was right in front of him and he could smell the heavenly aroma, he was ravenous. He sat up and devoured the waffle, grateful that Yuuri had been so thoughtful and kind. Yuuri ate his own waffle without even bothering with the cheap plastic cutlery the hotel provided. Viktor enjoyed watching him lick his fingers clean entirely too much.

They leaned back against the mountain of fluffy pillows and shared the plate of fresh fruit. Viktor would have liked to take more time and enjoy the experience, maybe even feed a few of the strawberries to Yuuri, but they were on a tight schedule. Maybe tomorrow, when they had no obligations and the day was free for them to do as they pleased, Viktor could indulge them both.

They showered together to save time. Afterwards, he watched Yuuri getting ready. Normally, Yuuri barely did anything with his hair besides giving it a cursory brushing. But today, he took the time to style it. Viktor watched appreciatively as he dried his hair, a towel slung low around his waist. He used the dryer next, styling his own hair while Yuuri gelled his back into place and got dressed.

All of the men in the wedding were wearing light grey suits and Viktor thought it looked good on Yuuri, but the peach colored tie really brought out the color in his cheeks and the warm undertone in his eyes. They’d known in advance that Yuuri would be in light grey and he had chosen a darker suit for the occasion to complement his attire. He’d brought several ties along as well and ended up settling on the black one. The teal brought out his eyes, but it made him clash with Yuuri and that just wouldn’t do.

Viktor looked at the two of them in the mirror and thought it looked like their wedding day. He reached out and smoothed back a stray lock of Yuuri’s hair, then leaned down to kiss him. 

Before they left, they briefly facetimed with Makkachin again and it broke Viktor’s heart to see his lovely girl on the screen and to be so far away from her. When they got married, he would find a way to include her in the wedding. 

When they arrived at the church, Viktor took a seat on the bride’s side because Yuuri was Sara's bridesman and he wanted to be on the same side of the altar as Yuuri. He took an aisle seat in the middle of the church, put his phone into airplane mode, and patted Yuuri’s glasses case tucked inside his jacket. Idly he noticed that Mickey was in the front row and he hoped he didn’t have any ideas about trying to disrupt the wedding. He’d heard about people having to be dismissed from weddings before, but he’d never seen it happen. Hopefully, he never would. But, after his little performance at dinner last night, if the need arose to escort Mickey out of the building, Viktor would be more than happy to volunteer.

Finally, when the seats in the tiny church had been full for half an hour and the air conditioning was struggling to keep up with the Georgia heat and humidity, the music began. Emil and the members of the groom’s party came in through a side door. Emil took his place at the altar in front of the minister, the three men and one woman that made up his party fanned out at his side, just like they had rehearsed the prior evening. Viktor noticed that everyone on the groom’s side had lavender ties and lavender roses on their lapels, except for Emil’s sister Kaja, who wore a lavender-hued dress with shoes dyed to match. Then the bridesmaids began to come down the aisle, all of them wearing dresses and shoes identical to the ones Kaja wore, except theirs were a warm peach. 

Viktor felt his pulse leap in his throat when the second of the bridesmaids took her place at the front of the church. Yuuri would be coming down the aisle next. He turned and looked at the back of the church, waiting for Yuuri. When he started down the aisle, Viktor swore he could have fallen in love all over again.

Dressed in his grey suit, with his hair back and without his glasses and a peach rose in his lapel, Yuuri was breathtaking. He smiled and Viktor could see the rosy color high on his cheeks that told him he’d had a drink or two. Viktor wasn’t surprised: he knew a lot of people drank before a wedding to take the edge off their nerves. As Yuuri walked past him, he cast a sideways look at Viktor, his smile growing just a little brighter. He never turned his head to look at him, just cast a glance his way as he walked by. Viktor sighed and felt like he could melt into a puddle right there.

Viktor watched him go and for a moment, it was as if he was watching his own wedding. He could see himself standing at the altar in Emil’s place, waiting for Yuuri to come and exchange vows and rings with him, to promise themselves to one another forever... Blinking back sudden tears, Viktor wiped at his eyes, hoping no one noticed.

As Yuuri took his place at the front of the church, someone tapped him on the shoulder. Viktor looked over to see the elderly woman seated next to him holding out a packet of tissues, a kind smile on her face. He whispered his thanks, dabbed at his eyes, and pocketed the tissue. He’d probably need it again later.

The maid of honor came down the aisle next, her strawberry blonde curls piled high on top of her head, and Viktor knew the moment was almost at hand.

The organist launched into _Bridal Chorus _and everyone rose and turned to face the back of the church. Sara stood there, radiant and beautiful in her mother’s cream-colored wedding dress, a bouquet of peach roses and white peonies clasped in her hands and her mother at her side, dressed in a smart pantsuit, ready to walk her down the aisle.

Slowly, they made their way down the aisle. Sara looked ready to cry from pure joy. When they passed, Viktor glanced at Emil and found that he was gazing at Sara with the same loving expression on his face. When they got to the front of the church, Sara’s mother let go of her arm and took her seat next to Mickey, dabbing at her eyes.

The music ended and the minister began speaking about the joys of marriage, but Viktor heard very little of it. His heart was racing and his gaze kept falling on Yuuri. Suddenly, in that moment, he wanted to pull Yuuri aside and set a date for their own nuptials. He wanted to pick out wedding rings and china sets, set up registries for linens and cookware and all the other things that engaged couples were supposed to do. They had been engaged for seven months, but things hadn’t really gone any further than that, not just yet. They were both busy with work, but he knew they would need to make time for this to happen. 

And the sooner the better, because being here at this wedding was making Viktor want to take Yuuri’s hand and run down the aisle with him, hand in hand, pronounced husband and husband. He wanted to sweep Yuuri off his feet and carry him over the threshold into a honeymoon suite, lay him down on a bed covered with rose petals and make love with him until dawn-

Viktor’s attention was drawn back to the present as the minister stopped speaking and Emil turned to his best man for the rings. He gazed into Sara’s eyes and slipped a golden band on her finger. Somewhere in the church, someone sniffed loudly and Viktor sighed in sympathy for whoever it was. He wondered if there would be a dry eye in the church by the time they were done. 

Emil took Sara’s hands in his and recited his vows, speaking of his love for her and how she was his best friend and made him want to be a better person. Sara put her ring on Emil and told him that he made her a better person, that he made her bloom, and he was the best thing that had ever happened to her. Viktor caught sight of Yuuri blinking his eyes rapidly and he knew he was moved, too. 

They turned back to the minister, who asked them if they agreed to love and honor one another, to stay together in sickness and in health, until death parted them. After they had both said their respective “I dos”, the minister pronounced them husband and wife and told them, “You may now kiss your spouse.”

Emil definitely made good on those words. He pulled Sara into his arms and passionately kissed her amid everyone’s cheers.

The organist began to play again and groomsmen peeled away from the front, one by one, escorting the bridesmaids back down the aisle and out of the church. When it came time for Yuuri and Kaja to leave, he held out his arm to her and she slipped hers inside it, a wide smile on her face. The best man led the maid of honor out in a similar fashion, and then it was time for the newlyweds to come down the aisle.

The tiny church erupted in sound. They made their way down the aisle to the front doors, hand in hand. Outside, the guests threw birdseed for luck and then departed for the reception. The wedding party and their families remained behind for photographs. Viktor was surprised when Sara and Emil wanted to take a few photos with both of them and was all too happy to oblige. 

Afterwards, Yuuri stood up on his tiptoes and gave him a quick, chaste peck on the lips. It may have been a sweet little kiss, but it made Viktor’s heart sing. He put his arms around Yuuri and smiled down at him.

“Let’s get married,” he breathed. “Be mine. Forever.”

Yuuri looked up at him and blinked, his eyes bright.

“Of course, Vitya. I’m yours for all eternity.” He leaned in and kissed him again, this time not so innocently.

* * *

The night went by in a blur for Yuuri. Viktor insisted on driving, as he knew Yuuri had a few drinks already. Who could blame him? He’d been jittery as hell. Before the wedding, he’d found Emil and the groomsmen clustered behind the church, hiding from view as they shared a bottle in a brown paper bag. When it had been passed to him, he took a sip and almost coughed as the bourbon scorched a path down his throat. He knew the ladies had a bottle of their own in the dressing room, thanks to one of them coming out for an illicit pre-ceremony cigarette and thanking the best man for giving it to them. 

The wedding itself had been so moving… He’d felt bad for Viktor, sitting with strangers, but the look on Viktor’s face was radiant and pure. God, he was _ so _ beautiful! He couldn’t break decorum as he walked down the aisle towards the front of the church, but he’d wanted to. He had to look ahead and walk in time with the music. All he could do as he walked down the aisle was look at Viktor and give him his best smile. 

He’d almost cried during the wedding. Sara had been through so much and he was so glad she’d found someone that made her as happy as she made them. Everyone deserved love and he was glad that she’d found it.

The reception was wonderful, hosted by one of Emil’s friends. There was a table set up in the backyard and dinner was superb. The champagne, of which there was a lot, flowed freely. So he had a few glasses. Who didn’t drink at weddings? Weddings were a cause for a celebration!

Sara and Emil had been surprised they’d given them a present, saying that coming all the way from Paris was more than enough. But they didn’t give them anything from any of their registries. Instead, Viktor had helped him pick out a nice bottle of French champagne along two antique crystal champagne flutes, which they’d carefully packed in their carry-ons. They’d both hugged Yuuri and Viktor afterwards, thanking them profusely.

As wonderful as their wedding was, it was still a little much for Yuuri. Being around so many people that he didn’t know put him on edge. He and Viktor had just gone outside to get away from everyone when the call had gone out for all unmarried men to gather in the backyard for the tossing of Sara’s garter. They looked on from their seats by the fence and watched the men strut about, Viktor giving a wicked running commentary under his breath about the participants that had Yuuri’s ribs aching with laughter. Mickey caught the garter and held it up like it was some kind of trophy for all to see. Then he kissed it and tucked it into his breast pocket, still gloating. Suddenly everyone has somewhere else to be.

“Oh, that’s just _ all _ wrong,” Viktor deadpanned, draining his flute of champagne. 

They were still sitting in the same place when Sara threw her bouquet. If watching the unmarried men had been entertaining, watching the unmarried women was downright scary as they jockeyed for position, tromping around in skirts and high heels like American football players getting ready for a play. The bouquet sailed over the women and landed in Viktor’s lap, making him jump. Most of the ladies laughed, but one got nasty and tried to snatch the bouquet away, saying they needed to do it over again as it didn’t count. Viktor, ever gracious, was happy to give it back for a second toss. This time, a ten-year-old girl caught it and held it up, bouncing excitedly. The woman who had demanded the second toss shot the girl a sour look and crossed her arms over her chest, clearly not happy with this result either.

“Oops,” Viktor sassed into his glass.

Afterwards, everyone clustered around the makeshift dance floor set up in the backyard for Sara and Emil’s first dance. They looked so in love that it brought tears to Yuuri’s eyes all over again. Kaja came up to them with her boyfriend and handed them more plastic flutes of champagne.

“Hey, no cryin’ here, ‘kay?” she said, only slightly slurring her words. A wide, silly smile was plastered over her face. “Nuthin’ but happy times here, got it? Drink up.”

Yuuri was more than happy to oblige. At some point, Viktor whisked him out onto the dance floor, leading him in a slow dance across the tiles, their bodies pressed close together. Yuuri looked up at him, seeing the corners of his eyes crinkle with a smile. The moonlight caught his hair just right, turning his platinum blond locks to silver, and suddenly Yuuri could see Viktor as he might look in ten or twenty years, still every bit as beautiful as he was now, and he had to blink back tears yet again.

“What are you thinking?” Viktor asked. “We’re not supposed to cry, remember?”

Yuuri stared up at him and sighed, feeling warm and happy.

“Just how lucky I am to get to grow old with you,” he replied and Viktor’s expression softened even more.

And then Yuuri did cry, but only a little. Without a doubt, he was the luckiest man in the world. Viktor leaned down to wipe the tears away and kiss him. 

Then the music changed, shifting to something more upbeat, and Yuuri wanted to lead. He repositioned his hands and led Viktor across the dance floor. He ended up spinning Viktor around and dipping him, making him laugh. God, how he loved to hear Viktor laugh. Eventually, the music ended and the buzz of the alcohol began to wear off. Sara and Emil got into her mother’s car to go home and everyone waved them off, then drifted to their own vehicles and departed. 

In their room, Yuuri and Viktor slowly undressed one another. There was no rush and they explored each other as though they were brand new, as though it were their wedding night. Viktor took his hand and led him to the bed. Yuuri went eagerly, feeling like he was floating on a cloud, and showed Viktor just how much he loved him. 

* * *

For their last full day in Atlanta, Yuuri wanted to see some things he’d never gotten around to seeing when he lived here. Since Sara and Emil were considering moving to Canada, there was very little chance he’d ever come back here for pleasure, so it was best to make the most of it while he could. 

They got up too late to get breakfast at the hotel, so they lay in bed and fed one another the macarons that had been in the gift bags they’d been given as they left the reception. Yuuri preferred the peach macarons and Viktor liked the lavender ones the most, so things worked out. The almonds were also pretty good and they ate those in the car as they headed out to drop off Yuuri’s tux— which didn't look half-bad for having spent the night in a rumpled heap on the floor—and explore the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

They spent several hours there, taking endless selfies while they walked around. Viktor loved the conservatory and all of its many displays, from the multitudes of orchids to the feeding of the poison dart frogs. Yuuri enjoyed the canopy walk and the rose garden, but his favorite part was the Japanese garden. Despite the crowds and the oppressive heat and humidity, it was peaceful and serene and reminded him of going to the gardens in Hasetsu with his mother when he was a little boy. 

They stopped by the gift shop and picked up a few small gifts for Chris, Phichit, and Suzette. Yuuri bought a postcard and sent it to Mari. Since his illness last year, they had a deal with one another to send each other postcards whenever they traveled. As an afterthought, he bought two more postcards, one for Minako and the other for Yuuko and Takeshi, and mailed them too. He really needed to call them when he got home. He hadn’t talked to Minako in a couple of months and it had been years since he’d spoken with Yuuko and Takeshi. Hell, they probably thought he still lived in Atlanta… The girls must be teenagers by now and he had let their friendship slide for far too long. 

The car was getting low on fuel and they would have to refill the tank before they dropped it off tomorrow, so Yuuri pulled into a gas station to fill up.

“I’ll get us something to drink, then we can talk about where to go for dinner,” Viktor said, kissing Yuuri’s cheek as he got ready to fill up the car. Smiling, he watched Viktor go as he swiped his credit card and started the pump. They had to make it quick: he wanted to be back on the road before it started raining again. The sky had gone dark and he could smell rain on the wind.

Distantly, Yuuri was aware that a dog was barking somewhere. He looked around, expecting to see a dog on the street, but saw nothing. The sound was muffled and he realized it must be coming from inside a car.

Frowning, he looked for the source. It was hot and if there was a dog trapped somewhere in a parked car… 

The dog, an adorable little Pomeranian, was alone in a car at the pump directly across from him, barking excitedly and scratching their claws on the window. When Yuuri looked at the dog, it barked at him again. 

Curious, Yuuri started walking towards the car. The dog was clearly barking at him, desperately trying to get his attention. Was the dog in some kind of trouble? As he approached, he couldn’t help but notice how much the dog looked like Bella, the dog that he and Craig had picked out together, all those years ago... The dog had the same golden coloring as Bella, even down to the dusting of white on her chest and tail. And the collar… the collar looked just like the pink one he’d bought for her the day he and Craig had brought her home from the shelter…

The dog barked and whimpered again and Yuuri realized his mistake. This wasn’t a near perfect copy of Bella, this _ was _ Bella. She was right here, right in front of him, scratching at the window and whimpering-

Yuuri’s heart leapt into his throat. If Bella was here, then that meant-

Oh no… _ NonoNO_! Of all the people to run into, the last one he wanted to see was-

“Yuuri?” an all too familiar voice called across the parking lot, one that he hadn’t heard in years but would remember as long as he lived.

He squeezed his eyes shut and struggled to take a breath. He wanted to turn around and run away, but he was frozen to the spot.

“Yuuri? Oh my God, Yuuri, is that you?”

Yuuri forced himself to look at the man in front of him, two bottles of water and a set of car keys in his hands.

“Hello, Craig.” 

Yuuri hated that his voice broke on his name. He hated that they had run into one another after so long.

“Hey, how are you?” Craig said, as though nothing had ever happened between them. As though they had never been in love, had never fought like cats and dogs. As though Craig had never shattered his heart. 

As though they were _ friends_.

“Did you quit working for the CDC?” Craig asked as he leaned in, subtly invading his space. How dare he? How dare he act so familiar when he’d left the way he did? 

“I tried to call you last year, but I guess you changed your number because it someone else’s now. So I tried to call you at work, but the woman who picked up the phone said it was her extension and she didn’t know who you were.”

Bella was still barking and scratching at the window, desperate for attention. Did she still know who he was, after all these years? Did Bella remember him?

“Why…” Yuuri began and had to clear his throat. There were so many questions he could ask, but only one was important to him right now. “Why did you try to call me?”

Somewhere deep inside, there was a part of him that hoped Craig had been trying to call him to apologize. To admit he’d been a jerk, that he’d hurt Yuuri, and that he was sorry…

Craig’s expression shifted, a shadow momentarily crossing his features.

“My mom passed away,” he said. “She really liked you and I thought you should know.”

Yuuri closed his eyes and struggled to breathe around the ever-increasing ache in his chest. Evelyn was gone. She’d always been so kind to him, had taken him in like a second son when he and Craig started dating. But when he lost Craig, he had to lose Evelyn, too. There was no other choice. She was Craig's mother and he wasn’t going to ask her to pick sides. Now she was gone and he regretted not calling her up and thanking her for her kindness when he had the chance.

“Oh,” he managed. “I’m so sorry to hear that.” He licked his lips, wishing the earth would swallow him up. “Evelyn was very nice.” What was it that people always said when these things happened? “I’m… I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks,” Craig said. He was about to say more when footsteps came towards them. 

“Yuuri?” Viktor said, a questioning note in his voice. He turned to Viktor, who stood a couple of feet away from them, a concerned expression on his face. 

He wanted to say something, but he didn’t trust his voice right now. 

Viktor came up to stand beside him and rested a supportive hand on his shoulder, both of them facing Craig.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t believe we’ve met,” Viktor said, sounding incredibly calm and self-assured. “I’m Viktor, Yuuri’s fiancé.” Craig blinked when Viktor said _ fiancé _ and his smile faltered, just the tiniest bit. Why in the hell would Craig care? He hadn’t cared when he’d needed to, when it had actually been important... 

“Oh, congrats,” he said, extending his hand. But Yuuri caught the shift in Craig’s tone. His words were welcoming, but they sounded forced. “I’m Craig. Nice to meet you, Viktor.”

Viktor’s grip on his shoulder tightened just a little. Yuuri didn’t need to look at Viktor to know his wonderful, winning smile had turned ice cold. Did Craig really think that he wouldn’t have said something to his fiancé about his ex, or that maybe it wouldn’t matter because it was in the past? What an arrogant _ asshole_!

Viktor took Craig’s hand, but it was awkward and stiff and Yuuri could feel the tension rolling off of Viktor in waves. Craig looked back at Yuuri and said, “So do you work for another division of the CDC or something? Or did you go into private practice?”

“No,” Yuuri managed. “Viktor and I live and work in Paris.”

“Oh wow!” Craig said, his voice even more strained now. “Paris! That’s awesome! Good for you!” 

And then it dawned on Yuuri just exactly what was wrong with Craig: he was angry. He was angry that Yuuri had moved on, never mind the fact that he’d done so himself a while back. Did Craig think he’d still be sitting at home, crying about him into his goddamn wine glass? God, he’d done that enough. 

Craig looked at Bella, who was still scratching at the window, and turned back to them.

“Well, I need to go,” he said. “I only stopped to get Bella some water after her walk. I’m sure you remember how thirsty she gets.” 

Yuuri wanted to scream. Yes, he remembered quite well, and Craig had thrown that little barb right at him, just to try to hurt him again. He wasn’t going to give him the pleasure of a visible reaction. Not this time. Not ever again.

“It was good seeing you again, Yuuri,” Craig said, all fake smiles. “And it was a pleasure meeting you as well, Viktor.”

“I’m sure it was,” Viktor said, his voice cold enough to freeze water. He took Yuuri’s hand and led him back to the car. 

“I need the keys,” Viktor murmured, not letting go of his hand.

“I… I'm driving,” Yuuri replied, his own voice sounding small and far away. Oh God, please no… not right here and right now. He needed to get away from here before he lost it completely-

“I haven’t done much driving since we got here,” Viktor said, trying to lighten the mood. “I should do my share.”

For once, Yuuri didn’t argue. He had no fight left in him. Defeated, he handed Viktor the keys and sat down heavily in the passenger seat. 

At least he managed to hold it together long enough for them to get out of the parking lot. 

* * *

Viktor gently guided Yuuri back to their room. He was still trying to get himself grounded after his anxiety attack and he was in no shape to deal with other people at the moment. They had been through this before and Viktor knew what Yuuri needed: peace, quiet, and solitude. He could provide that much, at least.

Earlier when he’d come out of the market and saw Yuuri standing next to a man at another pump, Viktor immediately knew something was wrong. Yuuri’s body language was tense and he had that ‘flight or fight’ aura about him that he got when he was on the verge of an anxiety attack.

It was clear that the other man, whoever he was, was upsetting Yuuri. He’d closed the distance between them, taking his place at Yuuri’s side.

When the man said his name was Craig, all of the pieces fell into place. This was Yuuri’s ex, the one who had hurt Yuuri so much. 

It had taken all that he had not to lay into the man right there. He wouldn’t have hit him—he’d learned long ago he was no good when it came to physical altercations—but he knew how to hurt with words.

But Yuuri didn’t need to be witness to a verbal tongue lashing, even if it was well-deserved. Yuuri needed to get away from Craig, far away, as quickly as possible.

They made it a couple of blocks before Yuuri broke down.

“I... I knew it was him…” Yuuri sobbed. Viktor wasn’t sure if he was hurt or angry or both. “I saw Bella in the car and… and… and I…”

Viktor pulled over in the next parking lot and let Yuuri cry. He opened a bottle of water for him and put it in the drink holder in the center console, then took Yuuri’s hand and held it, rubbing slow and gentle circles into his shoulder with the other. It made him feel so helpless when this happened. He wished he could fix it and make it all go away, but there was nothing he could do except sit here and offer his silent support. This was something Yuuri had to get through on his own.

Eventually, Yuuri quieted down and they were able to get back on the road. By that time, the approaching storm had made good on its threats and rain was coming down in sheets. Viktor drove slowly all the way back to the hotel, holding Yuuri’s hand the entire way.

“Vitya,” Yuuri asked, sounding drained, “are you going back to the hotel?”

“Yes,” he answered. “For now.” He looked over at Yuuri and squeezed his hand. Going out now would just overload him and make things worse. 

“I don’t want to be out in this weather,” Viktor lied. He didn’t want Yuuri blaming himself for this. “If the rain lets up, then we can go out. We can always order in, if you’re hungry. Or pick up something on the way back, if you want.”

Yuuri sagged back against the seat and sighed but didn’t let go of his hand. “Let’s just go back,” he said, defeated.

Thankfully they weren’t far, maybe four or five kilometers at the most, but the heavy rain made it take longer. When they got there, he guided Yuuri into the room, where he broke down in fresh tears as Viktor helped him undress. He crawled into bed with Yuuri and took him in his arms and held him close.

“The worst part about everything is that I didn’t even get to say hello to Bella,” he said after a long period of silence. “We picked her out together at the shelter and when he left me, he took her with him. I came home and at first I thought we’d been robbed. When I figured out that only Craig and Bella’s things were gone, I realized he’d left me and he’d taken her with him. I never even got to say goodbye to her. But even after all this time, she still recognized me, she still knew who I was. And he took her away again without letting me say goodbye.”

He held Yuuri while he cried, thinking about how much that had to hurt. What Craig had done had been cruel to both Yuuri and Bella. Viktor carded his fingers through Yuuri’s hair, hating that this had happened. This trip had been the perfect little getaway for them and it had been a chance to meet people who had stood by Yuuri through thick and thin. To run into Yuuri’s former partner had been an incredibly bad turn of luck. He was afraid this would color everything about the visit for Yuuri. God, if only they had arrived at the gas station five minutes later, they would have missed them completely.

“I’m going to go take a shower,” Yuuri said eventually, untangling himself from the covers and Viktor’s embrace. 

“Do you want company?” Viktor offered. He wasn’t surprised when Yuuri shook his head.

“Let me know if I can do anything for you, love,” Viktor said. Yuuri took off his glasses, put them on the nightstand, and closed the door behind him. A moment later, Viktor heard the water come on and sighed. If only there was something he could do for Yuuri… But he knew from past experience that the only thing that would work was time. Yuuri needed time to let this pass. 

He thought about picking up his phone and texting Chris and asking for his advice. But Viktor shot down that idea immediately: Chris was on good terms with most of his exes and he didn’t have issues with anxiety. He couldn’t help here. Maybe he could talk to Phichit, since he knew Yuuri so well, but he realized as he picked up his phone that he didn’t need to involve anyone else in this. Hopefully Yuuri would put it behind him and only remember the good things. Sara and Emil were married and he’d been a part of the wedding. He’d gotten to catch up with Leo. They spent time together, just the two of them, far away from the daily pressures of work. And there were easily at least a hundred pictures for them to go over from the Atlanta Botanical Gardens today…

Yuuri came out of the shower, a towel draped around his waist, and Viktor noted that he looked better. Maybe the shower had helped, like he physically and metaphorically had washed everything away. He sat down on the edge of the bed and gave Viktor a wan smile.

“Thank you, Vitya,” he said, leaning over to rub his hand over Viktor’s thigh. Viktor reached out and caught Yuuri’s hand and laced their fingers together, then playfully tugged at him. Yuuri allowed Viktor to pull him down and he crawled up to lie next to him, losing his towel halfway down the bed in the process.

“Do you… do you think we could go out and get something to eat?” he said quietly. “The storm’s over now.”

Viktor raised an eyebrow at him. It was still raining outside, but they both knew to which storm Yuuri was referring.

“Yes,” he replied, bring Yuuri’s hand up to kiss it. “That would be wonderful! Let’s get dressed.”

They ended up getting hamburgers at the restaurant just down the road from the hotel. The burgers were delicious, as were the French fries and onion rings they got with them. When the waitress came to collect their plates and offered them dessert, they politely declined. 

“We’ve got pecan pie,” she said, leaning in like she was sharing a secret with only the two of them. “Y’all gonna say no to that?”

Viktor was about to refuse again, but he saw the way Yuuri’s face lit up. Yuuri looked at him, gave him a small smile, and said, “Vitya, we have to: it’s _ pecan pie_. You haven’t lived until you’ve had it.”

“Is that so?” he teased. Yuuri nodded and so did the waitress.

“Your man is right,” she said, pointing an elegantly manicured nail at Yuuri. “You should listen to him.”

“Okay then,” Viktor said. “Let’s get a slice to share.”

She brought them a piece of pecan pie with two forks. Yuuri was right, it was delicious and he was glad that they’d gotten it. 

“All in all, it’s been a good visit,” Yuuri said, taking his hand as they walked out to the car. “It’s been a _ very _ good visit, but I’m ready to go home.”

Viktor smiled to himself. Yuuri was right. It had been a good visit, he’d gotten to meet some new people, but they had their lives to get back to. Besides, they had a wedding to plan. And the sooner they started, the better. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No translations or links this time!


	4. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri rolled his head on the pillow and looked over at Viktor. He could barely make him out in the near darkness of their bedroom, curled on his side and facing him while he slept. His pale hair spilled over the pillow, making him look younger. Yuuri reached out and let his fingers trail down Viktor’s arm to his hand and the ring that rested there. He would do anything, whatever it took, to protect him. He loved Viktor more fiercely, more deeply, than he’d ever loved anyone before, and the thought of any kind of harm coming to him shook him to the core. 
> 
> He wanted to roll over and curl up beside him, take Viktor in his arms and take comfort in his solid and warm presence. But he knew if he did, he might wake him up and Viktor needed his sleep. Hell, he needed his sleep, too, but he was too wound up to sleep right now, despite how tired he was. The best thing he could do was to get up and not let his insomnia disturb Viktor, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the fourth chapter! Enjoy!

As happy as Yuuri was to be home and to see Makkachin, he thought she might be even happier to see them. After almost six days apart, she barked when they walked in through Suzette’s front door to collect her, too excited to keep quiet or hold still. She jumped up to lick Viktor’s face as he bent down to cuddle her, her tail thumping happily against Yuuri’s legs.

Yuuri knelt down next to her and buried his face in her coarse curls as Viktor scratched her behind the ears. Makkachin shifted in their arms so that she could lick Yuuri’s face, making him laugh. It felt so good to be loved by her and to be able to love her back in return, especially after being denied the chance to even say hello to poor Bella in Atlanta. 

Viktor managed to disentangle himself from Makkachin long enough to give Suzette the thank you gift they’d purchased for her, a set of mermaid-themed coasters to go along with the mermaid cushions on her couch. She kept Makkachin while they were at work during the day and it was easier on Makkachin to stay with someone she already knew in a familiar setting rather than being kenneled with strangers for the duration of their trip.

“You two got back just in time for a heat wave,” Suzette told them as they went about gathering Makkachin’s things. “It’s all over the news. It’s already hot, but they say it’s going to get even worse.”

“How hot is it supposed to get?” Viktor asked while he gathered Makkachin’s things. Yuuri listened while he clipped her leash to her collar and tried in vain to hold her still. He’d noticed it was unusually warm when they’d left the airport, but if it was going to get worse-

“They say it may get as high as 35 degrees here,” Suzette replied. “In other parts of the country, they’re saying it may even hit 40.”

Yuuri looked at Suzette, shocked. Had he heard her right? His French still left much to be desired. However, if he’d heard her correctly, then it was going to get hotter here than it got in Tokyo this time of year. And France was much more temperate than Japan... 

“Oh my God, that’s horrible,” Viktor said, concern evident in his voice. “Are they going to do something to help people stay cool?” Yuuri wondered the same thing. In a country that had very little air conditioning, a heat wave like the one they were forecasting could prove fatal. 

“They’re giving out free bottles of water to anyone who wants them,” Suzette said. “All of the air conditioned museums will be free to the public and swimming pools are going to stay open later, too. I’m very glad this building has air conditioning. Otherwise this heat would be too much for my mother. Personally, I am only leaving the apartment to walk the dogs.” She looked down at Makkachin and smiled at her as she scratched her behind the ears. “Do you hear that, darling? You and your friends better be quick about doing your business this week!”

Makkachin tugged on her leash again and threw an eager glance over her shoulder, clearly ready to go. Yuuri held her tight. They weren’t going anywhere just yet. “Makka, _ sidet'_,” he murmured.

Immediately, she sat down, but she was up again almost as soon as her hind quarters hit the floor, like she was incapable of remaining still for any length of time. Yuuri shook his head and told her to sit again, more forcefully this time, even pushing down on her rear end, but she gazed up at him with her sad eyes and nuzzled his hand instead. Yuuri sighed and gave it up for a lost cause.

“Alright, let’s get the rest of your things and go, girl,” Viktor said, amused at her antics. “We’ll drop her off for her regular sitting tomorrow.” They thanked Suzette again for keeping her and headed down the hall for the stairwell. They were only one floor below Suzette now and taking the elevator seemed silly and wasteful. Plus it gave Makkachin a chance to get in a little walking, even if it was just going down a couple of halls and a flight of stairs.

Yuuri was glad, not for the first time, that they’d managed to find a larger apartment in Viktor’s building. His old building lacked air conditioning because it wasn’t necessary when it was built fifty years ago. That tiny apartment would feel like an oven in this heat. 

Once they were back home, Yuuri unleashed Makkachin and she immediately took off, her nails clacking on the hardwood floors as she ran about, happy to be back in her own home and with her humans. Viktor put her bed and her toys in their usual place underneath the window and filled her food and water bowls while Yuuri fixed a light meal of eggs and toast. 

Yuuri stretched and yawned while he cooked. He was still feeling the aftereffects of a long flight back from Atlanta and he hadn’t even adjusted to the flight _ to _ Atlanta yet. They’d left at eight at night and had arrived back in Paris, almost nine hours later, a little after ten in the morning. Long flights heading east across time zones were brutal on him. His body still didn’t know what time it was supposed to be. His phone said it was almost noon, but he felt like it should be earlier. Thankfully, they had the rest of the day to themselves, with nothing more pressing than doing laundry and going out for a few groceries. After that, Yuuri intended to do as little as possible until it was time to get up and go to work in the morning.

They sat on the couch and ate, Makkachin squeezing in between them, putting her head in Viktor’s lap and parking her rump on Yuuri’s thigh. She knew better than to get in between them when they were eating, but Yuuri didn’t have the heart right now to tell her to get down and neither did Viktor. She wanted to be near them and letting her do this one time would be fine.

Viktor washed the dishes when they were done. Yuuri unpacked, tossing the laundry in the basket and putting their toiletry bag in the bathroom, along with the lovely handmade peach and lavender soaps that had been part of their gift bags from the wedding. He placed the presents they’d gotten for Phichit and Chris on the dining room table so he wouldn’t forget them in the morning and neatly tucked their empty suitcases into the closet.

It was so tempting to just sit down and do absolutely nothing, to simply curl up in bed with Viktor and Makkachin and sleep until it was time to go to work tomorrow. But then they would have to get groceries on the way home after work, in the absolute worst heat of the day, and that just wasn’t happening, not with a heat wave coming.

They changed into shorts and Viktor got Makkachin’s booties out for her. She hated them, shaking her paws after each one was put on in an attempt to get it off, but she could burn her paws on the hot sidewalk without them. Viktor got her back on her leash and they headed for the small market a couple of blocks away.

Thankfully, the owners didn’t mind dogs in the market and actually kept several bowls of fresh water and a small jar of treats by the entrance. Yuuri grabbed a handbasket and they made their way through the market, picking up a few staples to tide them over until the weekend. But even this short foray out in the heat took its toll. Yuuri could feel a trickle of sweat sliding between his shoulder blades and Viktor was squinting behind his sunglasses.

Viktor had a pinched expression on his face, one that usually indicated that he was dealing with a headache. Yuuri asked him if he was alright and he nodded, but Yuuri wasn’t convinced. The last thing Viktor needed on the heels of this trip was a migraine and Yuuri knew that heat sometimes triggered them.

“I’ll take her out for a walk,” Yuuri said when they got home. “Why don’t you go relax for a bit?”

“I’ve got it,” Viktor said and headed out the door with her before Yuuri could say or do anything. Sometimes Viktor pretended he was fine when he wasn’t or tried to do everything all by himself. They were in this together. Why did Viktor sometimes act like he was still all alone?

Sighing, Yuuri unpacked the groceries. He’d just started the laundry when Viktor walked in and unclipped Makkachin.

“I swear that’s the fastest I’ve ever seen her go,” Viktor said, wiping at the sweat beaded on his forehead. “She didn’t want to be out in this either.”

Just then the washing machine kicked in and Viktor winced at the sudden loud noise. He might be trying to play it off, but Yuuri knew Viktor was definitely fighting off a migraine.

Frowning, Yuuri pulled the curtains shut, blocking out the sunlight and the view of the Eiffel Tower on the horizon. He went into the bathroom and took Viktor’s medication out of the cabinet and got him a glass of water. Without asking, he brought them to Viktor, who was parked on the couch and trying to covertly massage his temples.

“Here, Vitya,” he murmured, keeping his voice low. Without looking up, Viktor accepted the pills and the water and thanked him. After he’d taken the pills, he drank half of the glass and lay back against the throw pillows, moaning softly.

“I was hoping this wouldn’t happen,” he muttered, sounding pained. 

“I know,” Yuuri replied, slipping into place beside him on the couch. “I’m sorry it did. But you know what heat does to you sometimes. Let’s get you in bed, okay?” Viktor sighed and Yuuri guided him to bed and helped him undress.

“Do you want the heating pad or the ice pack?” he asked as he pulled the curtains shut, turning their bedroom into a cool, dark cave.

“Ice, please,” Viktor replied, his voice small and pained. Yuuri retrieved the ice pack for him out of the freezer and laid it on Viktor’s forehead, stroking his cheek once he was settled. Makkachin quietly padded into the bedroom and joined Viktor on the bed, curling up next to him. Looking back one last time, Yuuri closed the door, hoping that Viktor would get some sleep and the migraine would be gone when he woke up.

Viktor didn’t rise until the early evening, joining Yuuri as he silently folded laundry on the couch.

“Feeling better?” Yuuri asked, keeping his voice low. Viktor leaned against his shoulder, nodding his head. 

“I’m still a little off, but I’m much better than before. Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

“Of course,” Yuuri replied, leaning in to kiss Viktor’s cheek. 

“You know, you could have just said you had a headache to begin with,” Yuuri murmured. “I would have taken Makka out for a walk and you could have gone to bed. Going out again in the heat may have made it worse.”

“I know, but I didn’t want you to do everything, love,” Viktor replied. “I was hoping it wouldn’t get this bad.”

Yuuri kissed Viktor’s cheek again. “Next time, just say something, alright? There’s no need to make yourself sick.”

They ate dinner on the couch, a simple meal of sandwiches and sliced apples. After a migraine, Viktor’s stomach was always a little on the tender side. It was too hot to do much in the way of cooking right now, anyway. Afterwards, Viktor got up and opened the curtains in the living room, gazing out at the Eiffel Tower as the sun went down. Yuuri stood beside him and held his hand, admiring the view.

“I was hoping we’d actually get to look at a few things for the wedding today,” Viktor fussed as he leaned against Yuuri. “But this damn migraine had to happen…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Yuuri said, carding his fingers through Viktor’s hair. “We have plenty of time to look at things and start making plans.”

Yuuri took Makkachin out for her nightly walk once the sun was down. Viktor stayed behind, still a little on the wobbly side. Even with the sun down, the heat was still oppressive. Normally it cooled off in the evenings, but Yuuri could feel the heat radiating off the buildings and the sidewalk. Yuuri fanned himself as Makkachin walked about, looking for the perfect spot to do her business. Viktor had been telling the truth earlier: she disliked the heat as much as they did, maybe even more so with her thick coat of fur. They needed to take her to the groomers and see if they could thin out her coat a bit so she wouldn’t be so uncomfortable. But for now, just like everyone else in the city, they would have to make do until then.

* * *

“Welcome back, you two!” Phichit sang out as they walked into the lab together the next morning. Chris called out a greeting as well, but he didn’t look up from his pipetting. Viktor wasn’t surprised or offended. He knew from long experience that this was the part of the process that you didn’t want to screw up your count on. One set of missed wells, or even worse, a set of wells pipetted twice, would throw everything off.

Viktor went to his office while Yuuri headed off to the break room, a box of croissants and their gifts for Chris and Phichit in hand. He knew he had at least a dozen emails he needed to answer right away, but first he walked back to the lab to see what Chris and Phichit were working on.

Chris had a cold box open under the hood and was busy processing samples from the field. Several falcontubes were visible, as was a list with details about the samples. Chris heard him approach but didn’t look up, intently focused on his work. When the last set of wells had been done, Chris sighed and sat back.

“Good morning, mon cher,” Chris said as he began putting things away and cleaning his workstation. “Did you two have a good time in Hotlanta?” he teased.

“We did indeed,” Viktor said, not rising to the bait. He knew what kind of trouble Chris would have gotten into there and they'd had no time to indulge in any of Atlanta's famed nightlife. “It was so nice to finally get to meet Sara and Emil after all this time. Chris, you should have been there! You should have seen Yuuri when he walked down the aisle. I swear to you he was breathtaking. I didn’t really think light grey would look that good on him, but he wore this lovely peach colored tie that really brought out his coloring and-”

“Viktor,” Chris said, with such a note of long-suffering in his voice that Viktor fell silent. “We all know you adore Yuuri and that you think everything he does is perfect or cute, but it’s too early in the morning for me to listen to you gush about him. Perhaps after I’ve had another cup of coffee?"

“Well, take a break and get some,” Viktor said. “We brought in some croissants from the shop around the corner and I’m sure Yuuri has started a fresh pot.”

“Fine,” Chris muttered, swinging his long legs around to stand up. He stripped off his gloves, turning them inside out, and tossed them in the biohazard trash. 

“You know, you could just marry him,” Chris said as he stood up. 

“I’m going to,” Viktor replied. God, he couldn’t _ wait _ to marry Yuuri. He’d looked so beautiful walking down the aisle and he’d looked so sexy this morning with the light of dawn just beginning to stream in the windows

“You say that Viktor, but when?” Chris said. “You’re not going to go for one of those eternal engagements, are you? One where you’re engaged for five years before you ever tie the knot? Because if you are, I’m going to quit right now. I’m not going to listen to you go on about how perfect your fiancé is for the next however many fucking years.”

Viktor bit down on the comments that came to mind. It was clear that something was bothering Chris. It was far too early in the day for him to be this snappish. Maybe it was the heat. It certainly had everyone on edge and neither of them dealt with it very well.

“Soon,” he said, following Chris into the break room. “Very soon. I promise.”

Yuuri and Phichit stood by the coffee maker, deep in conversation. When Phichit saw Chris come in, his expression softened and he got Chris’s mug down out of the cabinet and set it next to his own. Viktor smiled at the gesture. He remembered when he’d found out they were sleeping together, a few months before Yuuri had been hired.

He’d almost gone through the roof. He’d been afraid that their off-hours relationship would affect their working relationship, and honestly he didn’t want to lose either one of them. Since his nasty breakup with Phillip a few years ago, Chris had been strictly casual. He had no idea how Phichit viewed relationships, nor did he want to find out. The less he knew on that front the better. But, if anything, their activities outside of work made their working relationship even stronger, a pleasant side effect he would never have expected. 

Viktor watched Phichit fill and fix both mugs, then walk over to Chris and hand him his. Chris smiled as he took it, his eyes sparkling as he watched Phichit move around the tiny room. It seemed like things were getting fairly serious between them and Viktor wondered if they’d talked about moving in together yet. 

“You two sit down,” Yuuri said, holding both of the small bags in his hands. “It’s not much, but we wanted to let you both know we were thinking about you while we were away.”

Viktor leaned against the doorway, happy to observe. Yuuri told him it was a Japanese tradition to bring back small gifts whenever you went away on a trip. They’d spent almost an entire hour in the gift shop trying to find the perfect presents for them. They had loved their gifts from Spain and Australia and he hoped this would also be the case.

“Ooh, you got us omiyage again?” Phichit squealed. “I’m _so_ excited! Thank you both so much!”

Phichit pulled the small candies out of the bag and grinned like a child at Christmas. Viktor had never met someone with a sweet tooth like Phichit’s. He swore the man ran on sugar and caffeine alone. When Phichit pulled the second box out of the bag and opened it to reveal the Alice in Wonderland paperweight, he was ecstatic. 

“Oh my God, it’s perfect!” he yelped, his smile getting even wider. Phichit looked across the table at Chris, who smiled softly back at him. 

“Open yours, thī̀rạk!” Phichit said. “I want to see what you got!”

Chris did so with deliberate calm. He was pleased by the sweets as well, but his eyes sparkled when he held up his paperweight with the Cheshire Cat on it.

“Oh, darlings,” Chris murmured, his voice low and sultry, “it’s purrfect.” And then he flashed them a smile reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat’s and winked as they all laughed.

“We can talk more about the trip over lunch,” Viktor heard Yuuri saying to Phichit as they headed back to the lab. Deciding they had it under control, Viktor headed to his office to look at his emails. He needed to find out if Leo was truly interested in the position. If he was, then he needed to email Celestino and see when he would be available for a nice long chat.

* * *

If he was honest with himself, Yuuri would say that his least favorite thing about his job was labwork. True, he’d gotten better at it and it probably made him better at collecting samples in the field, but he didn’t like it. He’d rather be out in the thick of things, feeling the rush that came with tracing an outbreak back to its source and stopping it from spreading further. Even the parts that most people considered gruntwork—collecting specimens and packing them up for the lab—was more exciting than unpacking someone else’s specimens and preparing them under the hood. It just wasn’t the same.

Viktor, on the other hand, had no problem with the labwork and considered it part of his due diligence to process the samples that came in from other epidemiologists out in the field. He could happily do that all day. 

Yuuri knew that labwork was an important link in the chain of what they did, but it bored him. It was tedious and repetitive, so repetitive… When it was finally time for their mandated break, Yuuri was glad to get away. Working too long pipetting under the hood, doing the same thing over and over again, could cause wrist injuries that could sideline him, something he wanted to avoid at all costs.

It had taken Yuuri long enough to get back up to speed after his illness. He’d been stuck in the lab for five long months while he had to endure a monthly battery of tests, checking to make sure that no live virus was still within him. While his blood was clear of it, tiny fragments of live virus could linger in other parts of his body for far longer. 

The first three times he’d undergone testing had been scary, as they had detected fragments of the Elgon virus in his spinal fluid and semen. But after that, the results had come back negative twice in a row and the Institut had given him clearance to resume fieldwork. It hadn’t come a moment too soon. A week later, he’d traveled to Barcelona with Viktor for a conference and right after that, they had been on a plane to Australia to join a team hunting for Hendra in the wild. It had been exhilarating to finally get back to doing what he loved.

As a result of his accident, procedures had been changed across the board. Scalpels had been removed from field kits, replaced by medical shears, so no one could accidentally cut themselves like he had. Dead specimens weren’t worked in the field; they were brought back to the lab to have their samples harvested under strictly controlled conditions. Had they brought back the dead bat back to the lab instead of working it in the field, the accident would probably have never happened in the first place. 

They had to get additional training when they arrived in Queensland. The reservoir for Hendra was the flying fox, a megabat the size of a small dog with a meter-long wingspan. They were harder to handle than the tiny and delicate fruit bats they had caught in Kenya and it took a team of four to safely gather specimens from a single animal. They had one person hold down each wing, one person hold down the body of the bat, and one person obtain the samples. Their first night out, Viktor had put Yuuri on wing duty, not wanting him anywhere near the specimens themselves. It had stung, because Yuuri feared that Viktor didn’t trust him to gather the specimens correctly, but later he realized that Viktor had put him in that position because he was scared that something would happen. He had put Yuuri there because he was trying to protect him.

But it still hurt, and Yuuri was better at getting samples than anyone else on the team. Eventually Viktor conceded the point and relented and let Yuuri resume gathering the specimens. But it was clear that Viktor didn’t like it, not one bit.

At lunchtime, Phichit was glad to see him eating something besides a salad. 

“I was afraid you were going to turn into a rabbit,” he teased. Yuuri was glad too: he’d eaten enough salad to last him for the rest of the year. “I was beginning to think I was going to have to stage an intervention and take you to McDonald’s.”

Yuuri shook his head and laughed, grateful to have a friend like Phichit. If it was before the wedding, he wouldn’t have gone. But now? Now they could hit Mickey D’s whenever they wanted.

Viktor joined them, taking the seat next to Yuuri and digging into his lunch. Chris came in last and heated up some leftovers, then sat down beside Phichit.

“Alright, now that we’re all here,” Phichit said, barely able to contain his excitement, “tell us all about your trip. I want to hear everything!” 

They spent lunch talking about the wedding and their adventures afterwards. He left their encounter with Craig out, preferring to forget that it had ever happened. Viktor pulled out his phone and began flipping through his camera roll and Phichit lit up. Anytime he got to look at pictures, Phichit was happy.

Viktor went into detail about the wedding and how nice Sara and Emil were and just how gorgeous Yuuri was in his tux, making him blush. Both Phichit and Chris agreed that Sara was stunning, even more so in her dress. 

“She could almost make me consider women again,” Chris mused. Phichit leaned over his shoulder and bit his lower lip. 

“Damn,” he murmured appreciatively, “she could almost make me consider _ women _. But she always did look good, even when she was with Seung-Gil.” 

“So when are you two going to make your trip down the aisle?” Chris asked, leaning on the table and batting his long lashes at them.

Yuuri felt the heat rising to his cheeks as Phichit joined in, elbows on the table and his chin planted in his hands.

“Yeah, when are you two getting married? You go to one wedding and it’s like a chain reaction. When I was a kid, my cousin got married and I swear half of the people who went to her wedding caught the fever and got married within a year.” 

“Uh…” Yuuri began, but Viktor spoke up.

“Soon,” he said, winking at them. “When we get further along in the planning process, we’ll let you know.”

“Well, you’d better hurry up and do it,” Phichit fussed. “When you two came back from Barcelona with those matching rings, I was certain you’d eloped there. And don’t go and get any ideas about eloping, either. You get that damn look off your face, Yuuri! I swear, if you do that, I’ll kick both of your asses.”

“You’ve got a lot of good photos here, Viktor,” Chris murmured, interrupting Phichit’s mini-tirade. “Why didn’t you post any of these online? This one’s really good.” He pointed at the selfie they’d taken in the Japanese garden by the maples. 

“I guess I forgot,” Viktor replied, a soft smile turning up the corners of his lips as he turned to look at Yuuri. “We were too busy having a good time.”

“Well, you should do it now then, because this picture is awesome,” Phichit said. “And post that one of the two of you with the happy couple, too. To leave those on your phone and not share them with the world is criminal.”

Yuuri started to wash their containers and silverware in the kitchen sink while Viktor posted the pictures to his Twitter account. By the time Yuuri was done, the pictures were online. He fished his phone out of his pocket and liked and retweeted the photos, making sure to tag Sara, Emil, and Kaja in the one of all five of them together. He patted Viktor on the shoulder as they headed back to the lab and smiled when Viktor reached out and brushed his fingers against the back of his hand.

He may not like labwork very much, but Yuuri loved his lab partner more than he could ever properly express.

* * *

After dinner, Viktor sat down on the couch next to Yuuri to discuss wedding plans. He wanted to have the ceremony in Paris, as it was their home and it was also the much lauded City of Love. Many people came here just to get married and they were fortunate enough to already live here. So why go anywhere else? 

Yuuri was looking through his phone, smiling softly to himself. Viktor leaned over to see what he was looking at and saw Yuuri going through his Twitter feed. He was a little disappointed, hoping he’d be looking at things about weddings instead, but it was fine. 

“How is Mari?” he asked, leaning his head on Yuuri’s shoulder.

“She’s good,” Yuuri replied, reading the string of characters that comprised her message. There were four pictures attached as well, three of them showing torrential downpours from a city sidewalk, a train station, and an apartment balcony, respectively. The last one was a selfie of Mari, looking thoroughly drenched, with her half-blonde hair hanging down in wet tendrils over her face. Behind her, a broken umbrella leaned against the wall. 

“It’s the rainy season right now in Tokyo and Mari’s umbrella got blown out of her hands and ruined. Thankfully she was on the way home and not going in to work.”

Viktor nodded and went back to looking at his phone. Maybe, if he found something, he could show it to Yuuri and they could discuss it. A few minutes later, while he was looking at tuxedos for the two of them, his phone pinged with an incoming text from Phichit.

**P: Don’t look now, but it appears that you have attracted the attention of a Twitter troll. They’re going off about the photo of the two of you in the garden in Atlanta.**

Without answering Phichit’s texts, Viktor opened up Twitter and took a look at the photo he’d mentioned. There were a lot of likes and a few comments, all of them positive except for the very last one. Viktor has used the hashtags for Atlanta and the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and that was what the troll, who went by the name of Harbinger, had fixated on.

_ Airplanes produce more carbon emissions than any other form of travel. You add to the climate crisis every time you fly. Your trip is fanning the flames that spread the viruses you claim to fight. Hypocrite. _

Viktor blinked, surprised that this was what had set them off. Next to him, Yuuri was looking down at his phone and let out a small sound of dismay. Had Phichit texted him, too? Before he could say anything, he got another text from Phichit.

**P: You want me to slay this troll for you?**

Inwardly, Viktor groaned. He knew this Harbinger person, whoever they were, was purposefully baiting him and looking for a fight. And he also knew that Phichit was all too happy to wade into battle and take them on. He was about to tell Phichit to leave them alone when Yuuri reached out and put his hand on Viktor’s knee.

“Vitya, have you seen this?” he asked, looking worried as he held up his phone. Viktor bit back on a frown and put his hand on top of Yuuri’s. He really wished Phichit hadn’t texted Yuuri and let him know, too. There was absolutely nothing to be gained from this.

“I did,” Viktor said, giving Yuuri’s fingers a reassuring squeeze. “It’s just a Twitter troll, love. It’s nothing to worry about. I get trolled all the time. It’s best to ignore them.”

“I guess you’re right,” he said, but he didn’t sound entirely convinced. Quickly, Viktor typed a reply to Phichit. 

**V: Thank you, but no. It’s just one comment. If you go after them, they’ll just come back with something else.**

**P: Okay it’s your call. Let me know if you change your mind.**

Closing the dialogue box, Viktor opened up his browser and leaned in close to Yuuri.

“Let’s look at some tuxedos,” he said, a playful note in his voice. Hopefully, he could get Yuuri’s mind off of random Twitter trolls and back on their wedding where it belonged.

He should have known it wouldn’t be quite that easy.

* * *

Yuuri lay awake in bed, staring up at the ceiling, unable to stop thinking about the strange comment that Harbinger person had left on the picture that Viktor posted of the two of them. Yes, Viktor had said it was nothing, just someone looking for attention or to start a fight, but there was something about it that felt different.

The comment wasn’t the average trolling message. They’d mentioned that their flight made climate change worse and made viruses spread even faster. _ Your trip is fanning the flames that spread the viruses you claim to fight, _ they’d said. Whoever this Harbinger person was, they knew who Viktor was and that part of his work predicting the path of viruses revolved around climate change. And that was what bothered Yuuri.

It was true that Viktor was well-known and that he had his admirers. He also had his share of detractors, too. Anyone who stepped onto the public stage had both: it came with the territory. Whenever he posted something about the work they did, there were always a few people who called him a liar or said that scientists were the ones spreading viruses. One conspiracy theorist even went so far as to say that they were creating viruses in the lab and testing them on populations in poor countries. Thankfully, none of them had gained much traction. 

Yuuri rolled his head on the pillow and looked over at Viktor. He could barely make him out in the near darkness of their bedroom, curled on his side and facing him while he slept. His pale hair spilled over the pillow, making him look younger. Yuuri reached out and let his fingers trail down Viktor’s arm to his hand and the ring that rested there. He would do anything, whatever it took, to protect him. He loved Viktor more fiercely, more deeply, than he’d ever loved anyone before, and the thought of any kind of harm coming to him shook him to the core. 

He wanted to roll over and curl up beside him, take Viktor in his arms and take comfort in his solid and warm presence. But he knew if he did, he might wake him up and Viktor needed his sleep. Hell, he needed his sleep, too, but he was too wound up to sleep right now, despite how tired he was. The best thing he could do was to get up and not let his insomnia disturb Viktor, too.

Yuuri slid out of their bed and padded into the living room, grabbing his phone and glasses on the way, and peeked through the curtains at the Eiffel Tower. It was lit up like a beacon against the night sky and he felt a little thrill course through him at the sight of it. In a few hours, the sky would lighten and the Tower would go dark with the start of a new day. Even now, after two years living in Paris, he still wasn’t used to the sight of the Eiffel Tower on the horizon. Maybe he never would be. Maybe he would never fully adjust to the fact that this was his life, his reality.

Sighing, Yuuri let the curtain fall closed and drifted into the kitchen for a glass of water. Sometimes this didn’t feel real. Sometimes he worried that he would wake up and discover that he had dreamed all of this: his career, his home, his relationship with Viktor. Maybe that was what worried him so much about Harbinger. They were just a faceless threat, most likely nothing to worry about, but it was the underlying fear that he could lose it all, or that it could be taken from him, that had Yuuri all worked up and unable to sleep. And until he could eliminate that threat, one way or another, that vague sense of unease in the pit of his stomach would be there, gnawing at him. 

He needed to do what he did best: apply the principles of contact tracing to Harbinger. He needed to treat Harbinger like a virus and do a deep dive to see what, if anything, he could uncover about them to neutralize them and keep them from spreading any further. 

Yuuri sat down on the couch and tucked his feet underneath him and unlocked his phone. Immediately, pictures of Sara and Emil’s honeymoon came up on his Twitter feed, and Yuuri felt a pang of guilt. He needed to look at them, to support his friends, but he could do that after he’d done some digging. 

Right now, he needed to see what he could find out about this person who called themselves Harbinger. The sooner he got started, the sooner he could stop them and keep Viktor safe.

* * *

Two days later, Viktor sat at his desk and checked his schedule. He had a phone call with Celestino in a few hours to talk about Leo. He was definitely interested in the position and Viktor needed to discuss his work performance with Celestino. He had given a good and honest review of Yuuri’s performance in the office and in the field and Viktor trusted Celestino’s judgment. But the waiting, the anticipation, got to him and made him restless.

Viktor looked out the window and sighed. It was still too hot to do much of anything outside. The train ride in this morning had been hell. It was even more crowded than usual and he’d felt like he needed to shower again when they finally got off at their stop. There was supposed to be a break in the weather this weekend, for which everyone was grateful. Phichit complained that it was hotter here than in Bangkok and Chris was barely functional. Much more of this heat and he’d end up a puddle on the sidewalk. Thank goodness they’d managed to get Makkachin in to the groomers yesterday. At least she already had some relief. Tonight when it cooled down, they’d take her over to one of the misting stations set up around the city and let her play in the water. Maybe they’d even go down to one of the fountains and wade into the water with her to cool off. It would be nice to go the fountains at the Jardin du Trocadéro and watch Yuuri strip down to just a pair of running shorts-

Voices drifted down the hall and Viktor caught part of a conversation between Yuuri and Phichit as they came in from lunch. 

“-asshole did it again?” Phichit muttered. “What _ is _ it with this person? Don’t they have a life? Seriously, just let me take care of it.”

“No,” Yuuri replied, sounding stressed. “Don’t do anything! You’ll just make it worse!”

Curious, Viktor got up and went next door to Yuuri’s office. The two of them were gathered around Yuuri’s desk, staring intently at his phone, Phichit sipping down the last of his soda from McDonald’s. Neither one of them had heard him come in.

“What’s going on?” he asked casually, making Yuuri jump. Quickly he tried to hide his phone and had the look of someone caught doing something they weren’t supposed to do.

“Nothing!” Yuuri blurted, but Phichit looked both angry and deep in thought, a potent combination.

“You know your little Twitter troll?” Phichit muttered. “Well, they’re back and I’m gonna go slay them this time. Some of your followers have already taken them on and they’re getting slaughtered, so it’s time to take this fucker out before you start trending for all the wrong reasons.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket like he was unsheathing a sword and headed back to his office.

Viktor watched him go, confused. Was he talking about the person who left the nasty comment the other day about air travel? He’d almost forgotten about them. He had much worse things to deal with than some anonymous person who threw barbs at him online. If he went after everyone who did that, all he’d ever do was fight. Yuuri sat down heavily in his chair, looking like he wanted the ground to swallow him up whole. 

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Yuuri muttered. Viktor walked further into the room and rested a hip on Yuuri’s desk.

“What do you mean you shouldn’t have said anything?” he asked. “Were you still worried about them? It’s just an internet troll, love. Why are you worried about what some random person on the internet thinks?” He knew Yuuri worried about things, but there were much more important things to worry about.

“I’m not entirely certain that they’re just some random person, Vitya,” he replied, looking up. Viktor couldn’t help but notice the dark shadows under Yuuri’s eyes. “They said something about you spreading the viruses you claim to fight.” He took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. “They know who you are. And it’s not the only post of yours they’ve gone after. Vitya, it looks like they’re going after you and they scare me. They scare me and they make me mad, so mad...”

Viktor took both of Yuuri’s hands in his and held them, trying to reassure him.

“A lot of people know who I am,” he said gently. “I have people who admire me and the work I’ve done, but I also have people who despise me for the exact same reason. I know how to handle them. I face them on television all the time, remember?” He smiled and squeezed Yuuri’s hands, trying to instill the confidence he felt into Yuuri through touch alone. “Whoever this is, I’m not afraid of them. And you shouldn’t be either.”

Yuuri sighed again, but it was clear he wasn’t convinced. Tonight, after they got home, he’d look over his Twitter posts and see what was going on. But right now, he was more concerned about Yuuri. He knew he hadn’t been sleeping well since they’d gotten back and he’d blamed it on the heat. But had he been staying up late going through all his posts, looking for signs that this person was stalking him instead? This needed to stop.

“We can look at everything tonight over dinner and see what we can do,” he said. “In the meantime, Phichit is out there cutting them down to size even as we speak. Who knows? It might all be done before we even leave for the day.”

“I hope you’re right,” Yuuri muttered. “I feel stupid even bringing it up, but I feel like if I don’t and it _ is _ something to worry about…”

Viktor leaned in and kissed Yuuri’s forehead and he felt Yuuri relax, just a little. They usually weren’t very affectionate at work. And even though they were in Yuuri’s office and no one else was around, the kiss still made Yuuri blush. 

“Thank you for watching out for me, love,” he said. “I appreciate it.”

“Show me how much when we get home,” Yuuri replied, fire behind his brown eyes. Now _ that _ was more like it.

“I will. And that’s a promise.”

* * *

“I see what you mean,” Viktor murmured as they looked at the replies Harbinger had left on his posts. Whoever this was, they definitely had him in their sights. Almost every time they attacked him, it was on the subject of climate change.

They had gone through most of his posts over the past six months, berating him whenever he mentioned that he had flown out to attend a conference or had gone to some remote location to gather data for research. They even admonished him for eating meat when he posted a picture of the lovely dinner Yuuri had made for them on Valentine’s Day. 

At first, Viktor wondered how he had missed these replies to his posts, but when he looked through his notifications, he discovered that all of them were new, just a few days old. Phichit had mentioned that anyone who came to his defense was also targeted and he was right. Harbinger went after them, rebuking them for their supposed ignorance and posting facts and figures to prove their points. And, as much as he hated to admit it, Harbinger did have them: eating meat did contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and air travel did, too. But the work he and other epidemiologists did out in the field could only be done by flying there: if he had to travel by sea to get from Paris to Sydney, it would take at least a month to get there, not a day. And if they’d had to rely on public transportation to get Yuuri out of Kenya after his accident, he would have fallen ill before they got out of Africa. 

“I don’t know who this person is, Vitya,” Yuuri said, leaning against him, “but I don’t like them. The fact that they’re hitting you so hard makes me nervous.” A shiver ran through Yuuri. Viktor wrapped an arm around his shoulders and kissed his forehead. 

“It _ is _ worrisome,” he replied. “But I’m not going to address them. This is just some anonymous troll, not worth my time or yours or Phichit’s, no matter how much he enjoys taking them on. They can’t hurt me. I’m just going to block them and move on. Hopefully, once they see that I’m not going to play, they’ll go away.”

“I hope you’re right,” Yuuri said, yawning behind his hand. Viktor blocked the Harbinger account and sent a text to Phichit letting him know what he’d done and not to engage with them any longer. Phichit replied with a pouting selfie, but Viktor knew he’d follow his request.

Yuuri was almost asleep by the time Viktor put his phone down on the coffee table. Viktor sighed, just a little disappointed. He’d really wanted to do more than sleep when they went to bed, but that was alright. He knew Yuuri had been worried and lost sleep over this and what he really needed was a good night’s rest. Besides, there was always tomorrow night…

But when they got to bed, Yuuri reached out and loosely wrapped his fingers around Viktor’s wrist, holding him fast.

“You made me a promise earlier,” Yuuri murmured, soft and low. He looked up at Viktor, desire simmering in his dark eyes.

“Don’t think you’re backing out on it now,” he whispered as he pulled Viktor down beside him for a kiss, his arms going around him. Viktor was more than happy to keep his word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> **sidet'**\- сидеть (Russian)- sit  
**mon cher** (French)- my dear  
**omiyage** (Japanese)- small gifts given to friends, family, and coworkers in Japan after you’ve taken a trip  
**thī̀rạk**\- ที่รัก (Thai) - dear


	5. Storming the Bastille

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s nice out,” he said quietly. “Why don’t we walk home?”
> 
> “Vitya, home’s almost eight kilometers away,” Yuuri laughed. Viktor shrugged, unphased.
> 
> “So we can walk for a bit and when we get tired, then we can take a taxi the rest of the way home if we want.” 
> 
> Viktor looked so wistful and beautiful, with the warm summer breeze softly lifting his hair… how could he say no? Yuuri shook his head at the cabbie, who nodded and headed off into the night. 
> 
> “Shall we?” Yuuri said, taking Viktor’s hand in his.
> 
> They talked a little as they made their way down the streets, hand in hand. Even at night, Paris was vibrant and alive. There were plenty of other couples out, clearly enjoying a night out on the town. 
> 
> Viktor was right. It was a lovely night, perfect for a long and leisurely stroll home, even if they seemed to be going in the wrong direction. Not that Yuuri minded all that much. The moonlight fell on Viktor’s hair, turning it a luminous silvery-white, and once again Yuuri was struck by how wonderful it would be to grow old by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter five! Thank you all again so much for all your comments and kudos!

“To Yuuri,” JJ said, holding his glass of wine aloft over the table, “for his willingness to go out on the front lines to help keep us all safe.”

Yuuri bit his lip as, all around the table, glasses were lifted in agreement. He hated having attention called to himself, but everyone gathered here tonight was here because of what he’d gone through as a result of his dedication. Shyly, Yuuri raised his own wine glass and joined in the toast.

Afterwards, Isabella set her glass of water down on the table and shifted in her chair, trying to get comfortable. She wasn’t due for another three weeks, but she looked like she could go into labor at any moment. Despite this and her obvious discomfort, she was still gorgeous and practically glowed in her crimson-hued maternity blouse.

Seeing Isabella like this reminded Yuuri of when Yuuko had been pregnant with the triplets. In the pictures she had sent him, she’d been radiant and even more attractive, something he wouldn’t have thought possible. Yuuri bit down a sigh at the thought of Yuuko. It had been entirely too long since he’d seen her or Takeshi or the girls. Maybe he and Viktor should honeymoon in Japan. They could go to Hasetsu and sneak in a visit. It had been so long since he’d been there...

Viktor rested his hand on Yuuri’s thigh under the table, bringing him back to the present. Yuuri placed his hand over Viktor’s and smiled at him to reassure him that everything was fine before turning his attention back to the people gathered around the table.

The doctors and nurses that had taken care of him while he was sick had wanted to get together to celebrate the first anniversary of his recovery, but their respective schedules hadn’t permitted it until now, almost a month past the actual date itself. Honestly, he’d been a little apprehensive about the whole thing, worried that someone would decide to talk about what it had been like to take care of him. His own memories of that time were unclear and disjointed. All he really remembered was how awful he’d felt and how scared he’d been. Thankfully, the conversation remained fairly light and the mood was celebratory as they all caught up with one another, which was exactly what he needed. Everyone was glad to see him back to normal, or as close to it as he was likely to get.

There were a few lingering aftereffects from his illness. Before he’d been infected with the Elgon virus, he’d been able to go for long runs in the park. Five kilometers had been easy for him. Now his limit was closer to two kilometers, three if he really pushed it. Occasionally, he had aches and pains he hadn’t had before, and his joints would occasionally hurt, especially when it was cold. But all in all, he counted himself lucky that this was all he had to deal with. Things could have been worse, so much worse. 

Much of the conversation centered around families and children, which wasn’t surprising considering Isabella’s condition. Marie talked about her two children and Hugo, being single and childless, talked about his younger siblings. Yuuri noticed that half of Isabella’s dinner was still untouched on her plate long after everyone else had already finished their meals.

“Are you feeling alright?” Yuuri asked her quietly as he nodded at her plate.

“Oh, I’m fine,” she replied. “I can’t eat very much at one sitting anymore because of the baby. We’ll take it home and I’ll have the rest as a midnight snack.”

“Do you want them to pack that up for you?” JJ asked, attentive to her every need. She nodded and he called the waiter over to take her plate. It was sweet, watching him dote on her. While JJ babbled about the things they’d done to get ready for the baby, Isabella sat serenely by his side, gazing up at him. Suddenly, her eyes went wide and she brought a hand up to rest on the top of her belly. 

“There he goes again,” she murmured. Yuuri couldn’t help but be fascinated. What was it like to feel a baby—an entirely different _ person _—moving around inside of you?

“Do you want to feel him?” Isabella asked. Yuuri blinked, uncertain. He wanted to, but was he overstepping his bounds if he did? He glanced at JJ, who grinned at him.

“Go for it,” JJ said, wrapping an arm around Isabella’s shoulders. Viktor leaned in next to Yuuri, watching everything unfold.

“Yes,” Yuuri murmured, reverent. “Please.”

Isabella took his hand and placed it on top of the rounded curve of her belly.

“There,” she said, smiling at him, “do you feel him kicking?”

He was about to say no when he felt a flutter, followed by a little thump against his palm. He sucked in a breath and gave Isabella a questioning look. She nodded at him and looked over at Viktor. “Here,” she said, taking Viktor’s hand and guiding it to rest alongside Yuuri’s.

Right then, the baby moved again, but this time it felt more like a rippling motion, like the baby was wiggling around and trying to get comfortable. Yuuri gasped and Viktor sighed, breaking out into one of his ridiculous heart-shaped smiles.

“Oh my God, that’s…” Yuuri trailed off and shook his head, at a momentary loss for words.

“Amazing,” Viktor filled in for him. Yuuri bit his lip. He’d been thinking _ beautiful _ , but _ amazing _ was true, too.

“You’re right. This whole journey has been amazing, even when he decides to dance on my bladder, like he is right now.” She gave then an apologetic look and said, “If you’ll excuse me for a moment?”

JJ helped her up and watched as Isabella slowly made her way to the restroom, a soft smile gracing his features. Yuuri thought impending fatherhood looked good on JJ. Now if someone could politely tell him that his sunglasses shouldn’t go on top of his head…

“That little guy kicks all the time,” JJ said, turning back to the table. “He likes to kick me in the back in the middle of the night, right in the kidneys.”

Next to Yuuri, Viktor hummed derisively. No one else caught it amid the laughter that floated about the table, but Yuuri did. He knew Viktor didn’t care for JJ very much, but he wasn’t sure why. JJ could come off as abrasive and downright cocky sometimes, but he had a feeling Viktor’s dislike went deeper than that. He’d asked him about it a couple of times, but Viktor always sidestepped the question or found a way to distract him. Some of Viktor’s distractions, Yuuri mused, casting a sly glance at Viktor, were better than others.

At the end of the evening, the waiter volunteered to take a group picture for them. They all squeezed in around Yuuri for the shot, Viktor slipping one arm around Yuuri’s shoulder, making him feel loved and protected. He looked around at everyone gathered around and was incredibly grateful that they’d volunteered to treat him. 

“I just wanted to thank you all again for taking such good care of me when I was sick,” Yuuri murmured as they moved apart, trying not to cry and failing. “If it hadn’t been for all of you, I doubt I’d be here today.” He wiped tears away as he said, “You… all of you… saved my life.”

Marie patted him gently on the shoulder and shook her head.

“Ah, you’ve got it wrong, I think,” she said. “We took care of you, yes, but if anyone saved your life, it was Viktor.” She put her other hand on Viktor’s shoulder and smiled at him. “Had it not been for you, facetiming with Yuuri whenever you could and letting him know how much you loved him, I fear we would have lost him. Your constant, steady presence kept Yuuri anchored in this world in ways we never could.”

All around them, everyone was nodding in agreement with Marie’s words. And Yuuri agreed with her, too. Viktor’s soothing voice and calm presence had comforted him, no matter how feverish he was or how much he ached… Without Viktor, Yuuri knew he wouldn’t be here now. It was that simple.

As they drifted out of the restaurant, Yuuri watched JJ help Isabella into their taxi and he couldn’t help but smile. Hugo departed next, followed by Marie. Another cab pulled up next to the sidewalk and Yuuri was about to get in when Viktor stopped him.

“It’s nice out,” he said quietly. “Why don’t we walk home?”

“Vitya, home’s almost eight kilometers away,” Yuuri laughed. Viktor shrugged, unphased.

“So we can walk for a bit and when we get tired, then we can take a taxi the rest of the way home if we want.” 

Viktor looked so wistful and beautiful, with the warm summer breeze softly lifting his hair… how could he say no? Yuuri shook his head at the cabbie, who nodded and headed off into the night. 

“Shall we?” Yuuri said, taking Viktor’s hand in his.

They talked a little as they made their way down the streets, hand in hand. Even at night, Paris was vibrant and alive. There were plenty of other couples out, clearly enjoying a night out on the town. A group of young women walked past them, laughing as they headed for a nightclub. As they walked past a shop closing up for the night, an elderly couple came out and shuffled down the street together, arm in arm. 

Viktor was right. It was a lovely night, perfect for a long and leisurely stroll home, even if they seemed to be going in the wrong direction. Not that Yuuri minded all that much. The moonlight fell on Viktor’s hair, turning it a luminous silvery-white, and once again Yuuri was struck by how wonderful it would be to grow old by his side.

Eventually, they ended up by the Seine and they walked up to the railing of the bridge, gazing out over the dark river below them. Yuuri turned to find Viktor looking at him, his expression soft and gentle. 

“I think I must be the luckiest man in the world to get to walk through life by your side,” Viktor murmured. 

Yuuri shook his head and tightened his hold on Viktor’s hand. 

“I’m the lucky one,” he replied. “You’re intelligent and kind and brave and fierce, Vitya. You’re everything a person should strive to be, and you make me want to be better than I am. You believe in me, even when I have a hard time believing in myself.” He wrapped his arms around Viktor’s waist and pulled him close.

“You know, Marie was right. They took care of me physically when I was sick, but you…” He looked down, trying to find the right words to express the depth of how he felt. But he’d never been very good with mere words: they always failed him. He needed something more, something tangible... He took Viktor’s hand and laid it on his chest, over his heart, and placed his own hand over Viktor’s. 

“Vitya,” he whispered, “you took care of _ me_.”

Viktor’s soft expression almost seemed to crumple in on itself. He took a deep breath, his lips drawn into a thin line as his eyes shone with unshed tears. Yuuri tightened his hold on Viktor’s hand, still pressed against his heart.

“You couldn’t be there physically,” Yuuri continued, his throat tightening as he spoke, “but you were _ definitely _ there in spirit. You talked to me and sang to me and cheered me up when I felt down. You let me know through your actions that you loved me and I honestly think if I hadn’t had that…” 

The words were there, but he couldn’t get them out around the lump in his throat. He couldn’t tell Viktor that if it hadn’t been for his love and devotion, he wouldn’t be here now. Yuuri knew if he said those words, he’d fall apart.

“Yuuri,” Viktor murmured as he leaned in and brushed Yuuri’s lips with his, soft and gentle. 

And then Yuuri did break. The tears silently flowed down his cheeks and he felt Viktor tenderly brush them away.

“It nearly killed me not to be able to be there with you,” Viktor said, stroking Yuuri’s hair back from his face. “I don’t know what I would have done if-”

Yuuri stood up on his tiptoes and kissed Viktor, silencing him. Some things were best left unspoken.

“I’m here,” he said, “that’s all that matters.” 

They stood there for a long moment, gazing at one another in the moonlight. Viktor’s thumb caressed his cheek and he leaned into it, needing Viktor’s touch like a drowning man needed air. He reached up and tucked a stray lock of Viktor’s hair behind his ear, letting his fingers linger over the silky and fine strands. If he could, Yuuri would be happy to stay in this moment forever, wrapped up and safe in Viktor’s love, the Universe narrowed down to just the two of them. But Viktor leaned in and kissed him again, this time not so innocently, and took both of Yuuri’s hands in his.

“Yuuri,” Viktor murmured, his fingers ghosting down the side of Yuuri’s throat, “let’s go home.” 

* * *

Sometime in the middle of the night, Viktor found himself awake, uncertain as to why. He blinked and looked at the alarm clock and frowned. It was way too early to even consider getting up. Yuuri was curled up by his side, his head pillowed on Viktor’s shoulder, one arm draped across Viktor’s chest, possessive even in sleep. 

He was Yuuri’s and Yuuri was his. Never before had anything felt so _ right_.

Viktor held up his right hand and gazed at the ring that rested there, a symbol of their commitment to one another. He’d been so lucky to find Yuuri. Yes, Yuuri considered himself the lucky one, but there was no doubt in Viktor’s mind that this particular honor was his. In Yuuri, Viktor finally had a partner who cared for and about him and not just what he could do for them. The feeling was both intoxicating and scary. 

That first night, when they had been naked and pressed against one another on the couch, Yuuri’s length sliding against his, Viktor had called a halt to everything and told Yuuri he wanted more than a one-time fling with him, that he wanted an actual relationship. He’d been terrified, afraid he’d scare Yuuri off. But he’d been even more afraid of letting it happen and finding out that Yuuri didn’t feel the same. 

In that moment, as he lay underneath Yuuri, it would have been so easy to pretend the fear wasn’t there, to just swallow it down and let his body take over and enjoy all that Yuuri wanted to give him. But the thought of Yuuri getting up and leaving in the morning like nothing had happened crushed him. Because he wanted more, so much more, with Yuuri.

He wanted to wake up next to Yuuri in the morning and fall asleep next to him at night. He wanted to be there when Yuuri had his first cup of coffee in the morning, watch him lick his index finger and absently gather up every single crumb left on his plate from his croissant while he looked at his phone. He wanted to walk Makkachin with Yuuri, laugh with Yuuri, argue and make up with Yuuri. He wanted to be with Yuuri, do everything—_everything_—with Yuuri, for the rest of his life.

And Yuuri—his sweet, gentle, lovely, amazing Yuuri—had said he wanted the same thing. He’d held him close and kissed him tenderly, soothing away his fears. He’d said he wanted to be his lover, his long-term lover, and kissed him again. When Yuuri led him to the bedroom, Viktor had gladly followed.

Viktor blinked, moved to sudden tears at the memory. How long had they been in love with one another without realizing it? Chris had known and so apparently had Phichit, but the two of them had been blind to the fact that their feelings for one another were reciprocated until that night. Since then, except for Yuuri’s illness, they had barely been apart. And Viktor never wanted to be parted from Yuuri again. He wanted to walk down the aisle and say in front of God and everybody that he loved Yuuri and he wanted to be his husband. He never wanted this to end. 

Sighing, he wrapped an arm around Yuuri’s shoulders and held him close, hoping to drift back off. But sleep proved elusive. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw JJ’s face and that stupid, sanctimonious grin he’d worn all through dinner. God, how he’d wanted to slap that expression right off his face…

Of all the people who had risked their lives and volunteered to take care of Yuuri, JJ was the one that Viktor had been concerned about from the very beginning. His overly-confident attitude had seemed like a façade and the day it finally cracked scared the hell out of him.

He’d gone to the hospital to bring Yuuri a poodle plushie and a soft, velvety throw blanket. Yuuri was so desperately ill and he wanted to bring him something solid and tangible to comfort him. When he’d walked into the medical staff’s small office, JJ had been pacing the floor like a caged tiger. All of JJ’s self-confidence had evaporated like it had never existed, leaving worry and doubt in its wake. 

“Just in case,” JJ asked, fixing Viktor with his icy blue stare, “do you know what kind of last rites should be administered to Yuuri?”

Those words had shaken him to his very core.

“I… I don’t know,” he’d answered honestly, taken completely aback. In that moment, he’d been certain that Yuuri had taken a turn for the worse. 

“Find out,” JJ ordered. And then, as an afterthought, he’d added, “Please.”

Viktor had nodded mutely, not trusting his voice. In shock, he’d numbly given the blanket and plushie to Isabella. Only later when it finally registered that JJ had asked about last rites merely as a precautionary measure did anger flare up inside of him, white-hot and all-consuming. How _ dare _ JJ ask such a question? Where had all the confidence of the previous days gone? Had it all been bluster and bravado like he’d feared? Was it nothing more than bullshit?

He’d wanted to go and march into the office of the hospital administrators and have JJ removed as one of Yuuri’s caregivers. Yes, JJ had experience dealing with patients in quarantine. Yes, JJ was good, damn good, at what he did. Yes, JJ had volunteered to take care of Yuuri. But if he walked into Yuuri’s room, certain that Yuuri was going to die, with as sick as Yuuri was… Viktor didn’t even want to _ think _ about it. After that, Viktor had never fully trusted JJ again.

He’d never told JJ what would need to be done. He’d never asked Mari: things were already difficult enough for her. There was no need to make matters worse by burdening her with something like this. And if he did ask, how would it affect her interactions with Yuuri? She was a doctor herself, used to treating the critically injured and ill in the emergency room of one of Tokyo’s busiest hospitals. She had volunteered to go to Africa during the height of the Ebola crisis, doing two separate tours in Sierra Leone, and had dealt with people around her dying under her care on a daily basis. But this was different: Yuuri was her _ brother _, the only surviving member of her family. His illness weighed on her like nothing else could. If he had asked Mari and by doing so planted the seed of doubt in her mind, would she be able to hide it? Some subtle shift in her behavior when she facetimed with Yuuri could signal something to him and he might slip and falter…

No, they had to stay positive, all of them. Viktor bore the burden of JJ’s request alone. Had it been the right decision? He had no way of knowing. All he knew was that Yuuri had recovered and was here in his arms where he belonged.

Viktor pressed a kiss into the crown of Yuuri’s hair, letting his fingers trail down Yuuri’s shoulder and arm. Yuuri made a small noise and shifted in Viktor’s embrace before he settled back down, never waking. Viktor let his eyes slip closed and allowed himself to drift, thankful and lulled by the sound of Yuuri’s soft and steady breathing.

* * *

A few days later, Yuuri sat on the train next to Viktor, weary and weighed down by the day’s events. The samples they’d received from the field had been an unholy mess. Two of the falcontubes had been open in the cold box when he’d unsealed it, their contents contaminating the ice they were packed in. Thankfully, none of the other samples had been tainted and he’d been able to salvage the rest of them, but it had been hell to clean up and taken way more time than he would have liked, putting him behind for the rest of the day. 

Chris had cursed in German when he saw the mess and Viktor had been upset enough to stalk into his office and fire off an email to the person’s supervisor, but that may have had more to do with the fact that Yuuri had snapped at him when he offered to help rather than the actual mess itself. 

“I know what I’m doing, Viktor,” he’d growled. “I don’t need you to babysit me.”

He could still see that fake smile defensively snap into place on Viktor’s face. He’d practically turned on his heel, the ends of his white lab coat fluttering as he walked away, clearly stung by Yuuri’s words.

“Pro tip,” Phichit had said once Viktor was out of earshot, “don’t bark at your boss when he’s trying to help you, especially when he’s also your fiancé.” Even Chris had joined in, shooting him a withering look and shaking his head before he cleaned up his workstation and went off to talk to Viktor.

They were both right. He knew that. But he also knew that if either one of them had opened the box and found the contents in such a state, Viktor would not have offered to step in and help. He trusted them. Yuuri knew he trusted him too, but somewhere deep inside, Viktor was still afraid that something would happen to him and was trying to protect him. But it came across as though Viktor thought he was less capable than either Phichit or Chris and it was a blow to Yuuri’s already less than stellar confidence. He needed to apologize to Viktor. But when? He’d tried at lunch, only to be stonewalled. God, that had _ hurt _.

Phichit and Chris had gone out to give them space to talk, a lovely and utterly useless gesture. Viktor hadn’t spoken a single word, hiding behind his wall of silence. Yuuri knew Viktor was still hurt and that he had caused it. This whole painful episode was all his fault. Several times, Yuuri started to reach out and apologize, but every time he started to speak, the fear that he would only make things worse swallowed his words before he ever got them out. Fear and worry gripped his stomach like a vise and he could feel his heart racing and it was getting hard to breathe. 

In the end, Yuuri had put his barely touched leftovers back in the refrigerator and retreated behind the closed door of his office. He did his breathing exercises and sipped a glass of water to help him calm down. If somewhere deep inside Viktor thought he was less than capable, having a goddamn panic attack while working under the hood would only feed that perception and make things even worse. Once he felt like he was back in control, he’d gone back to work, even if it was a little early. Anything was better than enduring Viktor’s silence. 

As the day wore on, Yuuri felt worse and worse. He’d managed to hold his anxiety off, but he was afraid it was just a temporary stay. After work, they’d walked to and boarded the train, not once speaking. Even now, Viktor refused to look at him as they sat side by side, choosing to stare out the window at the city rolling by instead of looking at him.

Yuuri hung his head. They needed to talk. But now was not the time or the place.

Taking a deep breath, Yuuri pulled out his phone and started thumbing through his Twitter feed, pointedly ignoring the Harbinger account. Viktor may have blocked them, but that didn’t mean they’d gone away. If anything, they were even more active now and they had gained followers and traction. A couple of media outlets had picked up some of their tweets, giving Harbinger the semblance of credibility. Yuuri knew if he looked at their latest attack posts, he’d only sink even lower and feel worse about things, the last thing he needed right now. Instead, he looked at Sara’s latest posts and tried to lose himself in them.

Sara and Emil had been back in Atlanta for almost two weeks and she was finally getting around to posting more pictures from their honeymoon. Most of her photos were either landscapes or selfies taken with Emil, both of them happy and smiling, interspersed with a few shots of the meals they’d had while they were in Vancouver. He looked through the pictures, automatically pressing the heart icon without really registering what he saw. Sighing, he let his hands drop into his lap and stared at a spot on the floor.

In Atlanta, Sara had asked them if they’d set a date. Now it was a month later and they still hadn’t. It all seemed like too much sometimes. Maybe they should just follow Sara’s advice and just pick a day and then let everything else fall into place. Or maybe he should just let Phichit plan the whole thing like he kept offering to do. It would probably cost half of his annual salary if he let Phichit do it, but it would be worth it. 

But would Viktor even want to marry someone who’d growled at him when all he’d done was offer to help them? He’d been so thoughtless and hurt Viktor so much that he couldn’t even speak to him… Was Viktor… was Viktor having second thoughts? Cold fear gripped him, sudden and sharp. Was that why Viktor had been so quiet?

Yuuri hazarded a glance at Viktor to find that he was no longer looking out the window. Now Viktor was looking at him.

“What are you thinking about?” Viktor asked, cutting into his thoughts. 

Yuuri swallowed, hesitant and uncertain. Viktor’s expression was set in that carefully neutral mask he used when he was interviewed on television, the one that gave away nothing. If he answered, would they fight? Yuuri could see it happening, could see them throwing barbs at one another that were too polite and too painful right here on the train. 

But what if, instead of fighting, Viktor said he was reconsidering their relationship? What if Viktor said he didn’t want to get married? That maybe they needed some more time? Not that Yuuri could blame him, not after his little performance today...

Viktor was still looking at him, still waiting for an answer. He expected and deserved at least that much. 

“Getting married,” Yuuri said quietly, hating how small and timid he sounded. Viktor’s expression softened and he took Yuuri’s free hand in both of his. 

“I’m ready to get married whenever you are, love,” Viktor said, gently rubbing the pad of his thumb over Yuuri’s knuckles. Yuuri closed his eyes and breathed out a shuddering sigh, grateful that Viktor didn’t want to leave him. He gave Viktor a sheepish smile and looked down at their hands.

“I’m really sorry I was so nasty to you earlier,” Yuuri whispered, the words flowing like water from a broken dam. “I was frustrated with the situation and you came in at the wrong time and I-” He felt a vibration against the back of their shared seat and broke off. His phone was still in his hand, so it had to be Viktor’s. 

“And I said the wrong thing,” Viktor finished for him, ignoring his phone. “I’m sorry I upset you, love. It’s just that you looked so flustered with the open tubes sitting there in the ice, so I offered to help. I know that you know how to do your job and that you don’t need me to babysit you.”

“I’m so sorry I said those awful things to you,” Yuuri said as he looked down, ashamed. He’d been childish and cruel, for no reason. 

Viktor’s fingers were under his chin, tilting it up. 

“It’s okay,” Viktor said. “I’m sorry I stormed off like a child throwing a fit. I should have stayed or at least talked to you during lunch. But you looked so scared and I didn’t want to upset you even more. When you got up and went into your office, I felt like an ass. I just didn’t know what to say and I was afraid we would start fighting again, so I said nothing.”

The back of their seat started vibrating again. That was the second call in a row, one call right after the other. That wasn’t normal, not at all. Who was trying to reach Viktor?

“You should get that, Vitya,” Yuuri murmured, letting go of Viktor’s hand. Viktor nodded and fished his phone out of his back pocket, looking concerned. All the color seemed to drain from his face when he looked at the screen.

“Oh no,” he breathed. “Please don’t let it be about Lilia.”

Yuuri’s hands knotted themselves together in his lap and he bit his lip. Viktor’s aunt Lilia worked in the lab that she and her late husband had set up in Kenya, but she was in her seventies and had suffered a fall in her home a few months ago. If someone was calling about her, it either had to be Mikembe or-

“Yura,” Viktor said, answering his phone. “_ Shto- _” He got no further, cut off by Yuri’s near hysterical screaming in rapid-fire Russian coming from the other end of the phone. For a moment, Viktor held still, listening intently to whatever his cousin was saying, his expression growing more worried by the moment. Yuuri wanted to ask what was going on, but he knew Viktor would tell him as soon as he had the chance. Until then, all Yuuri could do was wait and worry.

Viktor finally looked up as the train pulled into their stop. Yuuri could still hear Yuri over the phone, even without the benefit of him being on speaker. It sounded like he was crying, though, and not yelling. Viktor placed his hand over the pickup and looked at Yuuri, his expression haunted.

“There’s been an accident,” he said quietly. “Otabek was injured in the lab and they’ve taken him to the hospital. They’re not telling Yura anything and Mila’s taking him to the hospital now.”

Yuuri took a deep breath, fearing the worst. They’d gone through sample retrieval training with Yuri and Otabek in Kenya and he respected both of them. Otabek worked in the BSL4 lab in Saint Petersburg, dealing with the most deadly viruses on the planet. If there had been an accident…

Wordlessly, he reached out and took Viktor’s hand, silently offering his support. If Otabek had been exposed to anything, he was looking at three weeks in quarantine at the very least, longer if he actually became infected with whatever he’d been exposed to. Yuuri offered up a silent prayer to whatever deity might be listening to keep Otabek safe.

At their stop, he led Viktor off the train by the hand and steered them through the commuters clustered at the crowded station. 

Yuuri knew it was going to be a very long night.

* * *

Viktor watched as Yuuri headed out the door, Makkachin in tow on her leash. Yuuri had been so good to him tonight. He’d picked up Makkachin from Suzette’s, cooked dinner for them, done the dishes, and now he was taking Makka out for her second walk of the evening. All Viktor had done tonight was eat dinner and listen to Yuri. He’d had his hands full trying to keep Yuri as calm as possible, which he knew from long experience was a near impossible feat once he got worked up. Yuri was fairly high-strung to begin with, but the day’s events would have tried the serenity of even a saint.

Yuri’s frantic phone call had scared him. When he saw Yuri’s contact information pop up on the screen of his phone, Viktor had felt his stomach sink, afraid Yuri was calling with more bad news about Lilia. She was fine now, but for a couple of weeks after her fall, they had both been on pins and needles, worried about her. Instead Yuri had been calling because Otabek had been in an accident and he was scared, utterly terrified.

Viktor knew the feeling all too well. He remembered when Yuuri had cut his finger while dissecting the bat that had died during their specimen gathering. He remembered seeing the little spot of blood welling up on Yuuri’s index finger through both pairs of neatly sliced gloves… 

All the years of training he’d gone through, practically second nature to him, had vanished in an instant. He knew the protocol, but it was Yuuri… 

_ Yuuri… _

Thankfully, Otabek wouldn’t go through what Yuuri had endured. Yuri wouldn’t have to know what it was like to wait and worry, wouldn’t have to deal with all those sleepless nights while the man he loved fought for his life in quarantine. 

“I... I need to go, Viktor,” Yuri said, sounding completely drained. “They’re about to release Otabek and Mila’s going to take us home.”

“Get some rest,” Viktor replied. “If you need to talk later, don’t hesitate to call. I’ll have my phone with me all night.”

“Thank you,” Yuri murmured. There were some noises in the background and he thought he recognized Mila’s voice, but he wasn’t sure. Then the sound cut off and Viktor looked down at his phone, seeing that Yuri had ended the call. Sighing, Viktor let his phone drop beside him on the couch and sighed, running his fingers through his hair. God, that had been close…

Viktor walked to the bedroom and plugged his phone into the charger on the nightstand. He was about to sit down on the bed when he heard the door open and caught the familiar jangling of Yuuri’s keys and Makkachin’s tags. He walked into the living room to find Yuuri hanging her leash back up on the hook by the door, phone in hand. 

Yuuri looked up at him, concern evident in his deep brown eyes. Seeing that Viktor’s phone was absent, Yuuri wrapped his arms around him, offering support.

“I found some flights to Saint Petersburg, if we need to go,” Yuuri said, rubbing Viktor’s back with his strong fingers. It was the first time he’d spoken since they’d gotten off the train. He’d been quiet the entire night, letting Viktor concentrate on Yuri while he did everything. He’d even used part of that time to find flights for them, just in case. And Yuuri had done all of that for him after he’d been an utter and complete child and given him the silent treatment for most of the day.

He didn’t know what he had done to deserve Yuuri, but he was sure he wasn’t worth it. 

Viktor looked down at Yuuri and gave him a wan smile. 

“There’s no need,” Viktor said. God, he was tired. “Otabek’s going to be fine. He wasn’t exposed to anything. A piece of equipment malfunctioned and they had an electrical fire in the lab and they had to crash out. One of the other people in the lab panicked and pushed past Otabek to get to the chemical shower. Otabek slipped and fractured his wrist in the fall, but that’s all. His suit never lost containment.”

Yuuri sat down heavily on the couch and practically sagged with relief, the tension flowing out of him like water from a broken vessel. 

“Thank goodness,” he said. “I was so worried that he’d been exposed to something…”

“We all were,” Viktor replied, sitting down beside Yuuri. “They weren’t telling Yura anything other than Otabek was being taken to the hospital.” He shook his head and sighed. Whoever was in charge of things there should have been more forthcoming. Instead, they had left Yuri in the dark, something that should have never happened.

“I’m glad Otabek’s going to be okay,” Yuuri said, leaning into Viktor’s side. “I was ready to pull out the suitcases and start packing.”

“You’re too good to me, love,” Viktor murmured, running his fingers through Yuuri’s hair. “Have I told you today how much I love you?”

He felt the rumble of Yuuri’s laugh as he relaxed and took his hand. 

“Yes,” Yuuri said quietly. “You told me you loved me when you offered to help me in the lab. You didn’t use those exact words, but the sentiment was there. I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

Yuuri placed a kiss in the center of his palm and scooted back on the couch, motioning for Viktor to lie down with his head on Yuuri’s chest. Viktor stretched out and settled between Yuuri’s legs, resting the back of his head on Yuuri’s chest. He let out a long breath as Yuuri carded his fingers through Viktor’s hair in a soothing motion.

“I’ll forgive you if you forgive me,” Viktor replied, toying with the hairs on Yuuri’s calf. Yuuri leaned forward and kissed the top of Viktor’s head. Viktor shifted his position on the couch, rolling so that he was on his stomach but still settled between Yuuri’s legs.

“You know, you took care of everything tonight,” Viktor said, pushing himself up on his elbows and gazing up at Yuuri. He let his fingers trail over Yuuri’s stomach, delighting in the way it quivered under his touch. “Maybe there’s something I could take care of for you?”

A knowing smile crept over Yuuri’s face. He reached down and stroked Viktor’s bangs back from his eyes, his hand resting on Viktor’s cheek.

“What did you have in mind, Vitya?” Yuuri teased. 

Viktor playfully nipped at Yuuri’s thumb and unbuttoned Yuuri’s shorts, slowly easing the zipper down, watching Yuuri’s face the entire time. When his shorts hit the floor, Viktor leaned down and mouthed Yuuri’s erection through his boxer briefs. He pulled them down, freeing Yuuri, and licked his way up the shaft.

“Oh, I’m sure I can think of something,” Viktor murmured, sliding Yuuri into his mouth.

Later, once they had moved to the bed, with Yuuri’s legs wrapped around his waist, Viktor buried his head in the crook of Yuuri’s neck and whispered to him how much he loved him and how much he wanted to do this to him for the rest of their lives. It was enough to send Yuuri over the edge and Viktor tumbled along with him. They lay together, a tangle of sweaty limbs, gently kissing and caressing one another as they came back down.

“Love you,” he murmured to Yuuri, who looked almost ready to fall asleep. They should get up and shower, but Viktor found he didn’t want to move.

“Love you forever,” Yuuri breathed, never opening his eyes. Viktor tucked his head under Yuuri’s chin and sighed, falling asleep to the beat of Yuuri’s heart.

* * *

At the end of the week, Yuuri sat on the couch, watching the Bastille Day fireworks light up the Eiffel Tower. Viktor sat next to him, with Makkachin squeezed in between them. 

Chris and Phichit shared the adjacent loveseat. Chris lay with his legs slung over the arm of the loveseat and his head in Phichit’s lap, his eyes half-open and smiling faintly as Phichit’s fingers absently toyed with his curls. Yuuri wondered if they would be spending the night and was glad he’d put fresh sheets on the bed in the guest room earlier in the day.

Dinner had been wonderful. Phichit brought some of the satay chicken skewers and fried noodles he used to make when they were roommates in school. Chris arrived with the makings of chocolate fondue as well as an assortment of fresh berries and cake. He’d considered making katsudon but it was too heavy for the occasion, and settled on ume-filled onigiri instead. Viktor prepared his grandmother’s recipe for Olivier salad, but he only made half a batch. They were flying out to Shenzhen in a few days and would be there for at least a couple of weeks, possibly longer, depending on how things went. Half was just enough to last until they left.

A couple of days after Otabek’s accident, they had received an invitation from the Chinese government to go to Shenzhen to evaluate their wet markets. The Chinese government was being purposefully vague, saying only that they wanted experts in dealing with emerging viruses to come and assess the risks, purely as a precautionary exercise. But Viktor knew people in the Institut’s office in Shanghai. They said otherwise. They said something was making its way through the wet markets, infecting some of the people that worked and shopped there. And it appeared to be something new.

If some zoonotic virus was making the leap and spilling over from the animal population into the human one, they needed to be there. Yuuri was excited by the opportunity they’d been presented with. It had been almost five months since they’d last gone out in the field and the chance to possibly see a new virus as it emerged was the chance of a lifetime. Viktor’s work predicted that viruses would migrate with people and animals displaced by climate change. Climate change would also drive viral evolution, making it so that existing viruses mutated and changed at a faster rate. And viruses would also have to find new reservoir species as the ones they had previously inhabited went extinct or go extinct along with them. 

They might be seeing proof that Viktor was on the right track.

Several fireworks went off at once, illuminating the Eiffel Tower and the darkened rooms of their apartment in bright red and vibrant blue. Fireworks always reminded Yuuri of the Tanabata celebrations of his youth in Japan. His parents had always worn traditional Japanese clothing and made special dishes for the occasion, which he’d loved. One of Yuuri’s first memories was of sitting high up on his father’s shoulders, tugging at the sleeves of his father’s blue and grey yukata and gasping in amazement when the fireworks went off. He could still remember the feel of his father’s strong hands wrapped around his legs, holding him in place as he leaned back to give Yuuri a better view. 

Yuuri sighed, wishing he could talk to his father again, just one more time. 

He reached out and took Viktor’s hand, motioning for him to lean his head on his shoulder and enjoy the fireworks with him. Viktor gave him a little smile and settled in next to him. Makkachin slid out from between them and settled on the floor, laying her head down on her paws with an exaggerated sigh. After a moment, Yuuri felt eyes on him and realized that Viktor wasn’t watching the fireworks, but was watching him instead.

“You should be watching the show,” Yuuri chided gently. Viktor laughed and leaned in close.

“I am,” he murmured. “I can see the fireworks reflected in your glasses.”

Yuuri sighed and leaned in for a kiss. Their lips had barely touched when Chris called from the loveseat, “Get a room, you two.”

Viktor ignored him, but Yuuri wasn’t having it. He pulled away from Viktor just enough to say, “Need I remind you this is _ our _ apartment? We have a room. We’re in it.”

Chris sighed dramatically and Phichit chuckled. He would have said more, but Viktor pulled him back in for another kiss.

At the end of the celebration, fireworks were going off one on top of the other as lights ran up and down the Tower, all of it perfectly choreographed with the music they were streaming on Viktor’s phone. It was a beautiful and amazing sight. 

When it was all over, oily yellow-hued smoke from the fireworks slowly began to drift down and dissipate as the Eiffel Tower resumed its normal lighting, glowing softly against the dark skyline.

On the loveseat, Chris pulled out his phone and began thumbing through it, trying to get them a ride back to his apartment on the other side of the city. But with the celebrations just ending, it would be some time before a driver was available.

“You know, you’re welcome to stay here,” Viktor said, fetching Makkachin’s leash. She sat by the door, her tail beating a tattoo against one of the end tables, eager to go out. Chris sat up and shook his head, his eyes on his phone.

“If it weren’t for the fact that Lily is probably hiding under my bed because of all the noise, I might just take you up on it,” he murmured as he rose from the couch, “but as it is, we may just be stuck here anyway. It’s going to be at least an hour until our Uber can get here. Maybe longer.”

He said more, but it was lost as he followed Viktor and Makkachin out the door. Yuuri walked into the kitchen and slipped on his gloves as he filled the sink to do the dishes. Phichit drifted in behind him and grabbed a towel. They fell into the comfortable and familiar rhythm of washing and drying they’d had when they were roommates in Baltimore.

“How is Otabek doing?” Phichit asked as Yuuri rinsed off a plate and handed it to him.

“Viktor talked to Yuri this morning and he said Otabek’s fine,” Yuuri replied, scrubbing another plate clean. “He’s still a little shaken up from everything that happened, which is understandable, but he’ll be okay. Viktor said Yuri’s trying to talk him out of working in the BSL4 lab. Yuri says it’s too dangerous.”

Phichit nodded, a thoughtful look on his face.

“Chris feels the same way,” Phichit sighed. “He says he’d never go back to BSL4, either. After what he went through, I can’t really blame him. But sometimes I wish we had BSL4 labs here and didn’t have to send samples on to Lyon or Marburg. It would be nice to be able to process the samples you and Viktor get out in the field. Sometimes I feel like we’re not doing our part. But when I hear about accidental needle sticks and having to crash out of labs in an emergency…” He shuddered and looked up at Yuuri, his dark grey eyes hooded. “You can count me out. I think I’m fine right where I am.”

Yuuri nodded. It was one thing to collect dangerous samples out in the field, but having to deal with them in the lab… Somehow, it seemed worse. Maybe it was because BSL4 labs seemed so claustrophobic. Being sealed inside one of those blue space suits and then being sealed inside a room as well... Hell, it had been hard enough being in quarantine, just watching the doctors and nurses who took care of him moving around in their inflated blue suits, relying on a completely separate air supply and having to drench themselves in chemical showers after their time in his room… If he ever moved from doing fieldwork to doing purely labwork, the last place he’d want to be was in a BSL4 lab. Yuuri knew full well that his anxiety would not permit it.

“You know, if you feel like you want to do more, you could join us in the field,” Yuuri teased. Almost immediately, Phichit laughed.

“Oh hell no,” he muttered. “There’s no way I’d want to go out in the field and do what you do. I admire the work that you and Viktor do, but I’m not cut out for fieldwork and I know it. You’ve had to deal with some crazy shit out there. Besides, I’m rather fond of my own bed. You two have to haul camping gear with you whenever you go out, take three different phones, eat those nasty ass MREs…” Phichit shook his head. “Yeah, if it came down to it, I’d work in the BSL4 lab first.”

“We don’t always have to camp-” Yuuri began, only to be interrupted by Phichit.

“You did in Peru,” he stated flatly. “And you called for a quarantine to boot. You were locked down with everyone else for a month, no one in or out, relying on the Peruvian government to fly in supplies. Yeah, no. Fuck that. I’m good.”

“Peru was different,” Yuuri said. “And we only take all that equipment with us as a precaution. You never know what you’re going to be dealing with and it’s better to be prepared. The Chinese government is setting us up with a room in one of the nicer hotels in Shenzhen, so we should be fine. But we’re still taking the camping gear, just in case.”

Phichit pursed his lips as he dried off one of the containers he’d brought with him and tucked it into his shopping bag. 

“At least you’re getting out of here before the next heat wave hits,” he muttered. “I’d almost be envious of you, but you’re going to be crawling around in wet markets. Those can be nasty, Yuuri. And I mean _ nasty _. My dad sold chickens in one of the biggest wet markets in Bangkok. When we weren’t in school, my sister and I helped him out. I went to school so I didn’t have to do that shit ever again. And you want me to willing go back there and deal with that again?” Phichit frowned and shuddered for effect. 

Yuuri shook his head and smiled at his friend’s dramatics. He knew Phichit would never go and he wasn’t seriously asking. Phichit was a creature of comfort. Working in the field was something Phichit was not cut out for, just as Yuuri wasn’t cut out for labwork.

“Just be careful while you’re there. People are protesting in Hong Kong and Shenzhen’s not too far away.” 

Yuuri was about to mention that there were protests every weekend in Paris when the door opened. Chris came in first, followed by Viktor and Makkachin.

“Our driver is early!” Chris said, waving his phone and beaming. “She’s _ definitely _ getting a nice tip.” Yuuri stepped out of the kitchen and hugged them both, wishing them a good night as they walked out and Viktor let Makkachin off her leash.

Yuuri finished the dishes, but he couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in Shenzhen. Whatever it was, he hoped they could track it down and stop it quickly. Because, despite his brave face, Yuuri was worried. SARS had come out of China, and as excited as he was to be on the ground to observe an emerging virus, the world didn't need another epidemic on its hands. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are at the end of the year. Due to some unforeseen circumstances in my personal life, my posting schedule is going to slow down. Right now, I am anticipating posting a chapter a month next year, probably at the end of the month. Hopefully, this is only a temporary bump in the road. Thank you all again so very much for your support.
> 
> Translation:
> 
> **shto**\- что (Russian) - what

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments, kudos, and shares are worth their weight in gold, baby!
> 
> Many thanks to [smolkristen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/smolkristen/profile) for the wonderful art and [Songbirdsara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Songbirdsara/pseuds/Songbirdsara) for the fantastic beta. You can find smolkristen on [Tumblr](https://smolkristen.tumblr.com) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/smolkristen) and Songbirdsara on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/SongbirdsaraW). I'm also on [Tumblr](https://paintingwithwords.tumblr.com), but you're more likely to find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/PaintWithW0rds).  



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